


Where Children Gather

by WriteBrained22



Series: Catcher Off Guard [1]
Category: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2019-05-10 01:02:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 35,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14727008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriteBrained22/pseuds/WriteBrained22
Summary: When Gina goes to stay with her grandfather, the toymaker, in Vulgaria to be a runner and tutor for the children hiding beneath the Bomburst castle, she draws the infatuation of the one person who could endanger her mission and everyone involved – the Child Catcher.  Once Gina gives in, it becomes a question of how long she can hide her mission from the enemy that loves her and her taboo relationship from the villagers who trust her.  A romantic comedy sidequel (with a delightful intervention from Chitty towards the end).





	1. The Children of Vulgaria

**Author's Note:**

> "Don't be afraid of the Child Catcher." - Heather Ripley (Jemima), Red Carpet News TV, 2014
> 
> And, surely, I wasn't, in childhood or adulthood. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a cherished staple of my childhood. Frankly, the fear-mongering on the Internet about this character is unbelievable, and tragically perpetuated by other entertainment venues. Even Entertainment Weekly, in 2016, listed him among the “top 50 most vile movie villains.” But God poked me the entire week leading up to Valentine's Day this year to see the Catcher with His eyes. When I gave in to the idea of the Catcher being a romantic, charming figure and started writing the story you're about to read - in the wee hours of Valentine's Day - which I will forever call "Villaintine's Day" for this reason - I rediscovered the Child Catcher as someone who is truly capable of capturing your inner child and being lovable. That same day, someone somewhere on the Internet went on a random Sir Robert Helpmann (the actor) memorial page and posted the only comment that is there: "No doubt, Good Sir, you are dancing with the stars in the heavens! God bless!" Mic drop.
> 
> This warmer and more charming portrayal, while unusual for the character, is not far removed from the actor himself. The children of Chitty, Heather Ripley (quoted above) and Adrian Hall (Jeremy) speak of the well-renowned Australian ballet dancer, choreographer, and actor as a delight, as funny and charming, not at all intimidating or scary. Even on camera, Benny Hill, who plays the toymaker, can't help himself laughing the whole time he's being taunted by the Child Catcher. (Re-watch that scene and watch Benny's face.) And, to my surprise, before I even saw those interviews, that’s very much in keeping with the Child Catcher God recently presented to me. As such, I'd like to think that this is a tribute to Sir Bobby that he himself would enjoy, as well as those still living who remember him fondly.
> 
> I’ll surely never be able to watch the movie the same way ever again. And, perhaps, after reading this story and its sequels, you won’t either.

This was the least busy train station Gina had ever seen. It was the middle of the day, too. Kind of made the place eerie, she thought. _Shoot, if I'm spooked by that already_ , she told herself, _how am I going to do what I've been called here to do? Is this place that terrible? No one wants to come here? I don't remember it that way._

Vulgaria. Since the Baroness Bomburst's law forbidding children, Gina had not been to visit her grandfather at his toyshop in ever so long. He had certainly made the trip to her town to see the family, but Vulgaria remained a distant memory for her and her siblings. Now, she was being summoned back to serve the community in a way no one else was brave enough to.

Now, there was something familiar and welcome, she smiled. Her grandfather, Johannes Bergenkraft, was waiting for her outside the platform with his delivery cart with a look of proud adoration on his round, mustached face. He stepped away from the driver's bench to embrace her.

"Gina, _meine schnucki_ ," he cooed and gave her a hard kiss on the side of the head. "So good to see you."

"Good to see you, too, Grandpa. I'm looking forward to seeing Vulgaria again."

Johannes chuckled, somewhat derisively. "Well, at least someone still sees it with the mind of a child. It's going to be quite different from the way you remember. It's been a long, long time."

"Well, based on your story, I'm prepared for gritty. Ready to dig my heels in and," she held up her hands as if she were holding pistols, "clean up this here town."

"Just promise me you won't get too ahead of yourself." He took a seat on the driver's bench, taking the reins while Gina went around the other side. "This place is not to be trifled with."

"I'm the rational one. It's God you need to worry about. This was His crazy idea in the first place."

"I know your faith is strong, Gina. But you really must play by the rules in Vulgaria, or it could cost all of us."

"Yyyeesh. Lay it on thin, Grandpa."

Johannes smiled apologetically, though his voice remained stoic. "I don't say that to frighten you, Gina. You're already so brave to be undertaking this. It's just that I'm going to be worried about you every day that you leave the toy shop."

Gina gave her grandfather a one-armed squeeze. "God put this together, and He's gonna finish it with our good in mind. It's the Bombursts who need to be worried. 'Pharaoh, let my people go,' you know?"

Johannes chuckled nervously. "I love you, Gina. But don't talk that way outside of the toy shop, please."

 _Are these people so deadbeat that no one can speak of triumph and hope? Is hope something you get on the black market in Vulgaria?_ But Gina did not belabor her point.

 

As Johannes and Gina made their way across the gently rolling Vulgarian countryside in the bright sunshine and tasty, spring breeze, the Bomburst castle rose majestically over every rooftop, taking Gina's breath away. _How lucky am I to come live in a wondrous place like this? More accurately, how lucky am I to come live dangerously in a wondrous place like this?_

The moment they entered the village, it was like entering a time capsule of her childhood, taking her back to those long-buried, familiar sights and smells. The market was full of people buying and selling and, with it being school hours, it didn't readily strike Gina as odd not to see any children. Interestingly enough, it seemed to her that she was, however, the youngest adult in the entire village. Like a child, the sight of the street market made her feel jubilant and adventurous.

Gina was plunged even further into her childhood with the smell of the wood shavings and sight of her grandfather's talent displayed all across the walls and the workshop table in his toy shop. With no children around, these things were certainly piling up. Johannes had told her that his only customer these days was the fully grown Baron. _Weird_ , she thought. _In a land where children are forbidden, the ruler acts like a big child? Hmm. I mean, not that you can't be a collector and enjoy gadgets, but, from what Grandpa's said, the man seems to be overly consumed by being entertained._

Gina took her things upstairs to the small loft where there were two guest beds. She took the one closest to the little square window overlooking the weedy, fenced-off area called "the backyard." Even as children, she and her siblings hadn't used it much. There was much more room and fun to be had in the plaza out front. So, Johannes used it for storage and scraps that were too cumbersome to keep in his small dwelling. The bed was almost what could be deemed "child-sized," but it didn't really affect Gina, as she was small in stature, a thirty-year-old the size of a healthy thirteen-year-old boy. It certainly had a dollhouse smell – the smell of having been untouched in an attic for decades. And being as her grandfather was a man, she couldn't've expected him to think to wash the sheets and pillows and air out the mattress now and then. Of course, if he never expected to have young guests ever again, why would he?

 

After a dinner of fresh, cooked vegetables from the market and a few strips of lamb, Gina helped her grandfather pack some toys into two crates to take to the children she would be meeting that night.

Gina marveled at three, very detailed war ships on the work table. "Wow, Grandpa. Are you sure these are for kids? They seem pretty sophisticated."

"Oh, no, those are for the Baron," Johannes said. "I get requests for battle toys very frequently, as the Baron gets a little too excited and ends up breaking them. So, I always make more than he requests because I know I'll be replacing them in due time. These have working canons." With visible pride, Johannes shuffled over to the nearest ship and pointed as he explained that little metal canon balls would be loaded in the front, one at a time, like a real canon, and then launched by a spring-loaded pin when the back of the canon was pulled out and released. Gina stood amazed by the demonstration. "And, this time," Johannes moved down to a section of table behind Gina, "the Baron is looking for a new challenge in his bath time battles." Johannes picked up a smooth, green sea monster. It's four fins and long neck were suspended on weighted ball bearings that moved freely. In water, especially moving water, it would look as though it was actually swimming.

"Grandpa, that is incredible. You work entirely too hard for this man," Gina marveled.

"He pays well. Tax exempt."

"Amen! I think I might move to Vulgaria and go into the family business."

As the sun was going down, each carrying a crate of toys, Gina followed Johannes to the old, brick church down the street, where the town was to have a meeting to introduce Gina. _This is the most deadbeat debutante party I've ever seen_ , Gina joked with herself. Still, she found the mustiness of the place charming, casting all the more mystery on Vulgaria. _This looks like a cozy place to come and pray, Jesus. We're gonna be havin' some date nights in here._

One of the town elders stood, quelling the murmur. "Thank you all for coming tonight to welcome our heroine. Gina, Johannes? Will you stand up, please?"

They did so.

"This is my granddaughter, Gina," Johannes said, putting a loving hand on her back. "She has volunteered to be our runner and a tutor to the children underneath the Baron's castle."

"My gosh, Gina," one woman said, "you are so brave. None of us can really tell you how grateful we are. We miss our children so much and it means the world to both us and them to have someone looking after them."

"Well, God put you all on my heart," Gina said. "And when God says 'go,' you've gotta go. But at least you know that He's got a plan to work things out in your favor."

"You sound like just the person we need," the old man who introduced her said.

"The Baroness sounds pretty harsh if you all feel relegated to hiding your children away from the village," Gina posited as a veiled question.

"She's deathly afraid of children," a woman spoke up. "To rid the village of them, she hired a terrible man they call the Child Catcher to round them up in the worst possible way. God forbid you should ever run into him. Like a wicked Pied Piper, he used to come here with his carriage, all dressed up in colorful, carnival style and entice the kids to come inside for treats. Once inside, he would cart them off to the palace, never to be seen again. Who knows what the Baroness did to them. That's when we decided to hide the rest of our children."

"I understand," Gina said. "Well, God feels your pain, which is why He sent me. We've got this."

Johannes then lead Gina to the corner where satchels, crates, and baskets of food, clothing, and other supplies, including the toys they themselves had brought had been gathered for departure.

"We gotta carry all this?" Gina grimaced. "To the castle?"

"Well, seeing as this is a first trip in a very long time," Johannes said, "there's more than you will be taking on a daily basis."

The two began loading themselves up with as many satchels and baskets as they could comfortably carry.

"Gina," Johannes continued, "you will be coming and going very near to the castle each day, so, it's best that you visit the children by the cover of night each day or every other day that you go."

"Isn't that their bedtime?" Gina half joked.

"Well, you don't have to be there very long. Perhaps an hour or so, long enough to bring them food and clothes and to give them a school lesson in something."

"Man, that's rough only getting an hour of human interaction outside of hiding. What do they do all day?"

"You see how terrible it is for them."

"No one's thought to knock off this witch on the throne? There certainly seems to be enough of you to do it. Heck, I'm sure I could get the kids to do it."

"Well, Gina, there are a lot of dangerous factors involved and we just haven't had the right strategy yet. You are our best plan until then."

"Well, we'll see what God has up His sleeves."

Holding a lantern in front of them, Johannes led the way towards Castle Bomburst.

"None of these good-for-nothings can help us carry food and clothes to their own kids?" Gina remarked with bland disgust.

"Gina, the key is to not draw attention to ourselves," Johannes explained. "If we have too many of us, that might reduce our ability to go unseen this close to the castle."

"Three or four people would be too much?" Gina asked. _I am a small female, people, not a rented mule._

But Johannes made no reply.

 _You guys seem to be running a really slipshod operation here_ , Gina thought _. I'm inclined to pity the kids on those grounds alone._

 

Gina felt like they had been walking forever before they reached the wooded buffer around the front of the castle. As quietly as possible, they made their way through the trees to a row boat on the muddy shore of the lake. As the trees thinned, Johannes put out the lantern so that the light would not be a beacon on the water to anyone even casually watching from inside the castle.

Gina watched with some enchantment as the castle began to loom over them as they rowed closer and closer to the mouth of the cave. Just as they reached it, Johannes put down the oars long enough to light the lantern again. The lantern still did not cast a tremendous amount of light, which made Gina feel like they were floating in a dark abyss in a wooden bowl. The sound of the invisible water sloshing against the boat echoed in the undetectable tunnel.

It did not last long, however, for there was a golden glow up ahead. Johannes rowed into a cavern that looked like an old, underground, unfinished part of the castle that had been flooded. It was lit by large, iron lanterns attached to the rock walls. Gina forgot about being tired and sore while being enchanted by her mysterious surroundings.

All around the rocks and structures, children with dirty faces and dirty, torn clothes were sitting, talking, or finding some kind of loose debris to play with. Like small animals to some spilled food, the nearest children began to swarm towards the boat, their murmurs rising.

"These are your students," Johannes said with a sort of tired resignation.

But Gina was filled with thrill. "You call _this_ a prison?" she squeaked, grinning ear to ear. "This is a pirate cove! You're not fugitives – you're pirates! Oh, we are gonna have some fun in here. I'd set up shop in here, were it not for the lack of windows."

Johannes pulled up to the lowest platform and began unloading the supplies, which the kids clambered for.

"Take it easy," Johannes said. "Make sure everybody gets something. Children! This is your new teacher, Gina. She is my granddaughter."

Gina received multiple greetings, though the attention diverted quickly back to the supplies.

"How long has it been since anyone has come back here?"

"I don't know," Johannes said. "I've lost track. My business is with the Baron."

"Uh, there are children here you could be bringing toys to, Grandpa. Collect the money in the village and then bring the toys. Is this the first time you've ever thought of that?"

"Well, Gina, again, we haven't had anyone like you."

Gina decided to stop asking questions. The only way from here was up. _Yar-har!_

 

 _Well, Jesus,_ Gina prayed as she was making her bedtime preparations by lantern light upstairs in the toy shop, _I think You're onto something._

 _I thought you might get creative once you saw the grotto_ , He replied warmly, His smile detectable to Gina.

_Although…it does bug me a little that hiding the children in a cave without seeing to them would seem counter intuitive to a parent. Maybe. Just seems like that to me. I guess they don't have much of a choice, seeing as the law against children is militarily enforced._

_Cowards._

The coldness in His voice surprised Gina. _My Lord!_ she gasped, somewhat laughing. _How can You say that? Okay, I'm interested. What?_

_Rather than teach their children to face wickedness, they shelter them. And while they shelter them, neither do they lift a finger against evil._

_Hmmmm. I see your point. It's a rather startling point, and probably one held by only You. But not that I'm not used to you tipping the tables over like that. I do feel like there's a fishy sort of negligence going on, here._

_I'm going to teach you much in Vulgaria, Gina. The people and situations here are not going to be as they seem or how the populace has come to accept them with woeful complacency. Keep your spiritual eyes and ears open. Case in point, you see a grotto where parents have stowed their children for protection. What I am showing you is a prison that keeps the children from wisdom and maturity. To make a different point, you also saw a neglected grotto as a treasure trove of creativity and imagination. Those were your spiritual eyes at work, seeing the potential as I see it. And that is the mindset I want you to have in Vulgaria. What you have to bring to the children for now will minister to them. And minister to you, as well. That's why I called you here. Just take it one day at a time, Gina. Trust that I am with you and guiding you each step of the way._

_I will continue on faithfully, Lord. I declare Your wisdom and Your sight to be upon me always, in Your name. I pray for the mindsets that imprison these Vulgarians to be lifted and declare Your peace and Your strength and Your wisdom to fill them…in Your time, Lord, and in Your name. Amen._


	2. The Child Catcher

The next morning, when Gina came downstairs, her grandfather said to her, "Gina, would you like to come with me to make my delivery to the castle?"

"Of course," Gina said with emphasis. "How many people even in this town can say they've been in a real, inhabited castle?"

Johannes chuckled. "I thought that would appeal to you. However, the court of Bomburst is a very strange place. You must stay close to me and keep your wits about you. Be observant."

"Got it," she smiled with sly amusement and a wink.

The castle of Vulgaria was truly the most magnificent place Gina had ever seen, with its grand white fortress walls and red carpet leading up to the large, wooden doors. Despite her grandfather's warnings, Gina couldn't help feeling like a child in a playroom, much like she had in the grotto, ironically just below them. And she must have looked like a child, she thought, as she took a visual 360-degree tour of the courtyard while the guards helped her grandfather push the cart up the stairs. She was even tickled by how the guards looked like toy soldiers, in their impressively decorative, purple, blue, and white uniforms.

Gina followed her grandfather into the throne room only to be more amazed. The wide-open space made her want to dance. So, she did a little freestyle footwork as she walked along, falling further and further behind her grandfather. The floor tiles created a giant black and white checker board pattern that made Gina think all the more of games. And of more dancing. There were people just sitting around in chairs and talking in some areas. There were also men gathered around tables conducting some kind of experiments in various other corners. _And this place doesn't allow children? How is that even possible? What do you people expect will happen when you die of old age?_

"Your Highnesses," Johannes bowed to the Baron and Baroness Bomburst as they approached. "I've brought you the ships you requested. And the new 'threat' to the fleet, as well."

Baron Bomburst eagerly bent over the box as Johannes unleashed the sea monster, which seemed to be swimming even in Johannes' hand.

"Oh-ho-ho," grinned the Baron, with mirth much like a child at Christmas. "This will make _wunderbar_ birthday bath time! You are remarkable, Bergenkraft."

Johannes smiled and gave a shallow bow from the waist. "Your delight is worth it, Your Highness."

"And who might this beautiful young woman be, eh?"

Johannes glanced behind him to see Gina standing there, just in time for him to not notice her straggling. "This is my granddaughter, Gina. She is staying with me for a time to assist with my work."

"Ah," the Baron growled his approval. "Well, _willkommen in Vulgaria, frauline_. It's a good thing you are not a child – I might have to lock you up! Rah-hah-hah-hah-har! But…you are so youthful, anyway," he wagged a playfully warning finger at her, "I might have to send my Child Catcher to keep an eye on you. Reh-heh-heh-heh! Eh, Julian?"

"Oh-ho, don't throw me in that briar patch, Your Highness!" replied a jocular, nasally voice behind Gina.

When Gina turned around, a gasp escaped her control to see a startlingly unattractive man standing so closely behind her that she would've run right into him if she'd made haste to leave. He was perhaps slightly more than a head taller than her, his dress formal—a button-down vest, silk ascot, waist coat, pants, and shiny leather shoes—and entirely black. His complexion was sickly pale, framed by long, black, greasy-looking hair that reminded her of some kind of wild animal, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. The most unsettling of all his features was his unnaturally long nose, which protruded at least two inches from his face.

Nervously, Johannes said, "I'm sure that will not be necessary. Gina has very adult duties in helping me run my business."

Julian bowed to Gina, sliding one leg behind him gracefully, folding one arm behind his back and unfurling a slender, black-leather-gloved hand to her.

Despite his unusual appearance, Gina couldn't say she wasn't charmed. After all, she was in a castle, which already had her going. She politely placed her hand in his and he raised it underneath that ponderous nose and placed a genteel kiss between her knuckles. Gina's stomach turned, but she couldn't quite detect whether it was because of his unnerving countenance or because she was stimulated by his suaveness. Perhaps both at the same time.

The Baron and Baroness giggled to each other like a couple of middle school girls watching a boy flirt with a girl.

"Gina… Such a beautiful name," he said, casting his eyes up at her before he had returned to full height, a gaze that made the hair on Gina's arms stand up a little. "Welcome to Vulgaria, my lady."

"Thank you. It's…a pleasure to meet you…Julian, is it?"

"Correct. And the pleasure's all mine, I assure you."

"Yes, I'm very sure," Johannes muttered, taking Gina by the shoulders, like a parent ready to move a child along. "Well, we must be going. We have much to do in the village."

However, Julian looked him in the eyes with a calm, smug, almost amused defiance and tightened his grip on Gina's hand.

Despite what might be at risk for him, Johannes held his ground. "Mr. Fletcher, she is not a child. She is out of your jurisdiction. Unhand her, if you would."

Julian pulled his head back like a bird, wide-eyed, and omitted a garbled squeal that belied his good form and almost made Gina laugh. Then he squinted retributively at Johannes. "You villagers are so unrefined, so impertinent." He abruptly released Gina's hand, retracting his with an artful flourish of his fingers as if finishing a magic trick. He looked down at Gina with one last smile and nodded out.

Before anything else could happen, Johannes was practically pushing his granddaughter towards the door.

Julian watched their rushed departure. His concentration was suddenly broken by Baron Bomburst thumping him repeatedly in the chest with the back of his thick, ringed hand. He wasn't quite sure what the Baron was rattling off in his heavy Vulgarian accent, but the sneaky grin on his mustached face, the nudges he administered to Julian's shoulder, and the tone and inflection of his grunts and chuckles gave Julian enough context. "We shall see," he replied with a collected smile.

"You know, my birthday is coming up," the Baron said. "It would be quite the talk of the ballroom to see you with a beautiful young lady on your arm, Julian."

"Julian, you are so charming and witty," the Baroness added. "It's about time you should have a lady friend to bring to court."

Julian raised his brow, his gaze casually shifting about in consideration. He bowed slightly to her. "Your Highness is too kind."

The Baron growled some kind of approval and nudged Julian in the shoulder again with his fist.

 

"Who was that strange fellow?" Gina asked on the cart ride home.

"That was Julian Fletcher," Johannes said, "better known to our people as The Child Catcher. And other names we only repeat in our homes."

"Ah, so that's him."

"His heart is as black as the clothing he wears, Gina. You must never speak to him, if you can help it, especially in your line of work."

"Oh, I survived," Gina sighed, her smile growing.

"You know why his nose is so long?" Johannes asked, rhetorically. "It's because he's always lying. It's stuck that way."

Gina laughed, which evolved into a coo of sympathy. "Awww, come on, Grandpa. You keep talking like that and I'll take his side just to be the only one."

But Johannes was not swayed by her humor. "You'd better not. I know you've always had a rebellious streak in you, Gina, but the villagers have trusted you with the well-being of their children. Whatever you get in your head, you _must_ avoid the Child Catcher at all costs. You could cost all of them their lives—and yours."

Gina went silent with wide eyes. "Yes, sir. I take my position very seriously. Their trust is rightly placed." Still, for the rest of the quiet ride, she couldn't get Julian off her mind. _Well, he may have a bad reputation in town, but…there's just something about him… Wow, is he ever ugly, poor guy. And his voice leaves something to be desired. But…he does have his social graces down. Funny how much difference that makes in being disarming. Charming makes you disarming. And it rhymes. He's certainly an interesting character. I have sneaking suspicion he's not shewed off so easily, though._ Gina sucked some air between her teeth as she winced. _Oh, dear…_


	3. A Chu-Chi, Woo-Chi Dare

Sanding wooden figures was a good, productive, mindless activity to do, Gina thought, while contemplating how to make her lesson plans interesting for the children. _You know who's good at leading children?_ _Peter Pan! And I like costumes. I mean, they are sort of like Lost Boys and Girls in that cave. No reason they should feel lousy about it. They need a role model to keep their spirits up. Peter Pan's got the right spirit of adventure and bravery…when he's not busy being an insufferable hot shot, but we'll omit his personality flaws in favor of positive influence. I'll just have the savior of childhood drop in._

Then, there was a merry, rhythmic knock at the door.

"I wonder who that could be," Johannes wondered aloud as he went to the door. When he arrived at the doors, he could see through the fan-shaped windows and he gasped with displeasure. "Mr. Fletcher?"

"Good day, Heir Bergenkraft," Julian's voice came muffled through the glass.

"What are you doing here?"

"Open this door!"

Johannes did. Julian was standing there is his usual black attire, save for his show hat, which was adorned with a red ribbon and a smaller bouquet of flowers than the one in his hand. "Flowers?" Johannes asked. "That's unusual of the Baron to…" Realization set in. "Nooo…"

"You didn't honestly think these flowers were for you, did you?" Julian quipped with a slight, wry smile.

Johannes felt fury beginning to boil inside him, but he controlled it, knowing Julian's power at court. "They say that you're crazy, but you must be delusional to think a nice girl like Gina would accept favors from a despicable creature like you. You mock our intelligence."

Julian squinted. "I believe Gina, as a young woman, is capable of making her own decisions, toymaker. You did say she was not a child, did you not?"

"Don't try to twist my words, Fletcher, you snake. Leave her alone. Go back to your outlandish court soirees."

"Don't be a fool, Bergenkraft!" Julian said. "I know she is within. I could see her. Bid her come or I can return with an armed escort next time."

Johannes sighed. "You come in. But she does not go out."

Julian acknowledged with a brief rise of his brow and a nod.

"That is, if she wants to see you." Johannes turned around, closing the door to but a crack. He stepped back into the room. "Gina? Will you receive Mr. Fletcher as a guest?"

Gina dissolved into snickers as she watched Julian open the door himself and slide in. _Shut-out fail, Grandpa_. "As if I had a choice."

Johannes looked behind him and sighed. But he said to Gina, "You still have a choice."

"Well, let's not leave a man standing with flowers in his hand," she said, standing up from the stool. "I'll receive him."

Julian removed his hat with a flourish and bowed deeply at the waist to her, like a performer. "My lady." In a boyish way, he trotted down the step and into the room, hat still in hand. He stopped in front of her and bowed again, this time more shallow and at the shoulders, extending the bouquet to her.

"Aw, thank you, Julian," Gina said with her normal amount of social gratitude. "These are lovely."

"So glad you think so," he replied. "It was going to be a challenge to find anything to match your natural beauty."

Johannes buried his face in one hand.

Gina placed her hand on her chest and genuinely glanced away briefly, trying to control her smile. Attempting to be sly, she cut her eyes at him and said, "I can see why you are the Child Catcher. You're quite dangerous with that silver tongue."

Julian batted his hand, with a high-pitched, "hoo-hoo," of flattery.

 _How is this guy scary?_ she wondered, sarcastically.  _Maybe that_ is _what makes him scary.  A wolf in sheep's clothing.  
_

"Well, it serves me well," he replied. "You shan't be hearing a lack of it."

"So, do you like toys like the Baron, Julian?"

"That depends. I was a circus man in years past, which was how I met the Bombursts and started out as their jester."

"Oh," Gina smiled. "Now that's interesting. You still perform?"

Encouraged by her interest, the man gave a seemingly humble smile and continued. "I can still whip out a few tricks. If you would like."

Gina lost herself in her inner child for a moment. "Certainly. I love a good show."

"Well, then. Don't want to disappoint the lady." Julian picked up a hammer, a chisel, and a whittling knife off the table. Each were different weights and lengths, which he examined by shuffling them in his gloved hands. Gina watched that knife with cautious wonder. Then, he took a step back from her and began to juggle them adroitly. Gina stared with rapt attention and awe. Even more to her amazement, he tossed the hammer straight up into the air, spun around quickly on one foot and caught it even while holding the chisel and knife. He did not falter, but the maneuver with the odd objects put a pause in his juggling flow. While Gina gaped, Julian bowed.

"I've still got it," he smiled, more to himself than her.

"That had to be hard, even for a master juggler," she said. "One of those things was even sharp."

"That's why I didn't throw that one. Yes, more difficult than usual, but not too much so. It's a matter of striking the right balance, really."

"To be honest, that's one of the things I've always meant to learn. Just seems to be a life skill."

Julian's brow went up. "Really? Well, I happen to know of an excellent teacher right here in Vulgaria." He winked. "How lucky are you?"

 

Johannes was relieved when Julian finally left. He closed the door with a sigh of relief, but didn't speak or move until he heard Julian's horse clop away. "I wonder what that creepy bastard is after."

"You gotta give the man props for thinking he's even got a chance, with that reputation and that face," Gina shrugged.

"No, I don't. And neither do you, Gina. I know you like to take in the misfits, as your mother puts it, but there are some people that just make sense to avoid."

"Whoa, hey!" Gina spat. "How dare you blame this on what you think you know about me? That is an anointing that you all have always regarded as a weakness. Did Jesus not eat with sinners and incur the ridicule of his community leaders, namely the high priests of His Father's own people?"

"Gina, that's not a justification for indulging Julian Fletcher. Don't get religious on me."

" _I'm_ religious? No, I'm spiritually organic. My faith takes place on God's terms, not my own. Did I take up this dangerous task in Vulgaria because I thought it would be a fun way to get out of the house, Grandpa? Maybe He called me here not just for the children's sake, but to show y'all how faith is done, son."

"Well, there are laws here, Gina. If you are caught breaking them, the consequences can be dire. And you have a responsibility to these villagers to play within the rules. Your 'crazy God' excuses won't fly. This flirtation with Julian, it won't last. He's a villain, backed by more powerful villains. He won't have a change of heart just to impress you. The moment you arise as a threat to his authority, he'll order the removal of your head. Do you understand me?"

 

 _Just think some lovely thoughts_ , Gina told herself as she siphoned off the morning frustration in the basement of the toy shop, rummaging for potential Peter Pan attire and adornments, and what spiritual insights she might tie in to educate the children.

She was interrupted by a midday vision, which, as a veteran prophetess, she had come to call "news flashes" because of the way they just started playing, as if someone had cut on a spiritual television. _"Kkkkk!  We interrupt your regular thought process to bring you breaking news from the Wide Wide World of Heaven,"_ she jested. _Ugh, right in the middle of my favorite show, Jesus?  Just kidding._ She sat down on a small stool to give it her full attention.

In the vision, she was in the basement of the toy shop, as she was now, aware that the Child Catcher was on his way to her location. She joked with herself outside the vision, _"A Child Catcher advisory is in effect for the following counties… Please remain indoors and avoid any windows."_ Although she did not feel threatened, vision-Gina operated on a widely accepted sensibility to hide from him, even getting a sense of conquest out of it. But she did not get the chance to hide before Julian appeared. Gina expected to feel panicked, but being "caught" by him did not fluster her. He, in turn, did nothing. Even with net in hand, he simply stood there, as if he had forgotten why he was there. Then, he came over to her and casually proceeded to, in all irony, critique her choice of potential hiding place. He even seemed to be giving her advice. Spectating-Gina chuckled at the comically ironic and simplistic situation.  _Okay?  So...I guess that confirms that he's harmless.  At least, to me.  Are You saying I should listen to him? Even...take advice from him?  ...You really want me to take those juggling lessons?  Heh-heh...  
_

But the vision was not done with her yet.  Julian suddenly attempted to come on to her, desiring to touch her intimately, hold her.  Gina almost fell off her stool as she tried to shake herself free of the visual like one waking themselves from a bad dream. _Whoa, whoa! Easy, there, buddy! Get a clue! What in the world?  ...Jesus…I think your vision was sabotaged by some spiritual opposition.  I guess that's always a good indicator that You did something powerful.  You're just a trouble magnet, aren't You._   But she received no reply from the Holy Spirit, not even a joking one.  In the meantime, a worse thought crossed her mind.  _Or is that what's on the horizon?  Is he planning to do that the next time he comes here?_ Now, Gina was feeling afraid of him for the first time.   _Look._ _I agreed to council and friendship. But I don't just give of my body freely, especially to the likes of Julian._   _I am a daughter of Christ._ _He's got to do something to earn my affection and we're not there yet._ _  
_

 

Early in the afternoon, Gina felt the need to move about, get out of the house. She perused the marketplace for elements of her Peter Pan costume. The sun was warm and the breeze was cool – best shopping weather, she thought.

"Gina," one friendly woman said, "how wonderful to see you out and about. How are you liking the children?"

"I think we're going to have a lot of fun," Gina replied. "I'm on a mission this afternoon to hit the ground running with a Peter Pan costume."

"Oh, how delightful. That is certainly imaginative. I'm so glad we were able to find someone like you to help."

"Like I said, I'm glad to do it."

"What was it like going up to that castle?" another woman asked. "If it weren't for the monsters inside of it, I would be more inclined to call it enchanting."

"Enchanted with evil, that's what it is," another woman added.

Gina smirked inwardly before proceeding. "Well, in my fresh opinion, it was enchanting, without being evil. After all, it is fairy tale material."

"Your optimism is refreshing to our souls, Gina. I think you're going to be a jewel in this lonely town."

"Aw, thank you. I appreciate you sharing that."

"Speaking of the monsters in the castle," a lady said, "I saw the Child Catcher coming out of the toy shop. Are you and Johannes alright, Gina?"

"Yes, yes, we're perfectly fine," Gina smiled. "He was just bringing me flowers to say 'welcome to Vulgaria,' that's all."

The women gasped as if they had just been told someone was murdered in cold blood.

"Oh, no!" one of them groaned. "Is he trying to court you?"

"He'll ruin everything if he finds out what Gina's actually doing in Vulgaria."

"Gina, you can't go out during the day."

"Great," Gina grunted. "So, now, _I'm_ the fugitive. Can't be seen by day, only going out at night. What kind of a life is that?"

"Now, Gina, you have a responsibility to our children. We've trusted you to do something no one else has been brave enough to do. What rotten luck that the Child Catcher fancies you. I wouldn't wish that on any woman – even one as unattractive as he is. You can't give into him, Gina. If he finds our children, they'll all be in grave danger."

"I gather that," Gina said in a deep, bland tone, feeling like her intelligence was being insulted.

"Ughh, he's so _ugly_!" another woman sighed. "And the creepy faces he makes, on top of that. I can't stomach even to look at him. Even a glance is too much for me. I can't imagine how a man with his face thinks he has any sway with a girl."

"Oh, come on," Gina groaned. "I feel you, he's a little hard to look at at first, but he's not that bad. In fact, it was easier to look at him when he was being genteel and charming. He does have a way with that."

"Oh, Gina, don't be fooled. He only uses it for deception. That's what used to happen to our children. That's the very thing that makes him so evil. He dresses it up – literally – in charm and playfulness."

"You've got to be the worst kind of person to treat children like that. Evil as plain as the nose on his face."

Her defensive streak rising up, Gina decided to stir up the chicken coup and smirked, not unlike the man they were all vehemently condemning. "At least his hand was warm. Must prove that he's human."

"You're too generous, Gina. That man is anything but human. He's cold-blooded snake, that one. If he even had a heart to love with, his own guilt would strangle him."

Gina's brow knit over her widening eyes. "Ouch."

The woman went on in her rant. "And now that vile Catcher is preying on our dear Gina, our only lifeline to our kids. Sometimes I wonder why God lets things get in the way like this."

"That's a real faith issue for you? Alright, look," Gina said, somewhat sternly. "I'm not going to let anything sabotage the mission. God Himself asked me if I'd like to be the one to do this, ergo He has designed it for me and prepared me to do it. It's in His capable hands. Nothing is going to go wrong." _At least nothing that can't be fixed by Him. And that's everything._

 

Much to Gina's ire, vision-Julian lingered into the afternoon, still trying to silently coax Gina into his arms. It was as if he was saying, "Okay...how about now?" _You haven't changed, Julian,_ she sarcastically replied. _Why should my answer?_ Her appeals to Jesus for protection from these recurring thoughts were not availing and neither was her willpower over them. And yet, amidst the voices that criticized him— _Evil! Deceiver! Arrogant! Ugly!_ —Gina was surprised at the uprising of another voice, directed at her: _Hypocrite! Jerk! Callous! You claim to have a Christ-like heart? I thought you were "anointed" to take in misfits, the unpopular, the rejected._

 _This is different!_ she retorted to these thoughts. _He's operating under lawful evil and I'm not at fault for keeping him at bay! You don't reconcile with that with pleasures of the flesh! That's not the way it's done. Friends, fine. But making out is not a form of making up, in this case._

As constantly guarding her thoughts against Julian was becoming distracting and exhausting, Gina was forced to consider other options. _I've got better things to do with my time than wrestle this all day!_ She sighed. _Alright. Regroup. Maybe it's actually Jesus, not a spiritual attack. Maybe He's using this to symbolically draw my attention to something and He's not going to let it go until I find out what it is. So, what are we looking at, here? We're dealing with the Child Catcher...so maybe there's something in my childhood Jesus wants me to reconcile with in order to operate in childlike faith. Makes sense, as that's been a theme over the last year. "Unless you can be like these little children,"_ she quoted Jesus, _"you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven." Heh...we're readdressing that in a land where children are forbidden and with the actual "childhood police" himself? Nice one, Jesus. God is funny. Alright, Lord, I hear You. Here we go..._

Gina sat down in the shade of the toy shop porch, anticipating, from experience, that a forgiveness-heavy prayer was often the gateway to freedom. _Jesus, I forgive the people who have persecuted my attempts to be childlike in my faith and as Your daughter. Please forgive them for their ignorance in what they do and have done and replace their wounds and mine with Your healing and peace. Forgive me for every societal mindset I have given into that has stunted my ability to be a child of Your Kingdom. Forgive also the people of Vulgaria who have persecuted children – Julian, the Bombursts, and anyone in their court who has condoned or turned a blind eye to this corruption. Forgive the parents of Vulgaria who have not looked to Your wisdom and have sinned by their children in Your eyes. Give them Your eyes, Your ears, and Your courage. Please bless me, as well, and send me as Your light into this darkness. Strengthen me against the temptations and mindsets that may hinder me in the tasks You have designed for me and equipped me to accomplish. In the name of Jesus, amen._

At long last, Gina did feel some relief. Not as much as she would have liked, but her efforts were rewarded. It at least gave her enough clarity of mind to go on with her lesson plans.

 

"Are you alright, Gina?" Johannes asked at lunch.

Gina straightened up and she brightened her expression. "Why do you ask?"

"You seem a little distant."

"Oh, just things Jesus and I are praying about. He wears me out sometimes. I've got a heavy burden with you guys, not just physically, but in prayer. The villagers, the children—I even prayed for the Bombursts. And, of course, Julian."

"Well, that's very noble of you."

"'Ask anything in My name,' He says, 'and you shall receive it.' And with but a mustard seed of faith, we can move that Bomburst mountain. Just think what we could move if we collectively petitioned God in prayer as a community."

"We spend a lot of time in church, Gina."

"Well, that may be your problem right there."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Maybe we need to have a prayer vigil right out here in the plaza, calling on the Holy Spirit to fill the town—and the castle."

Johannes shook his head. "I don't know if the people here would be open to that. Many of us feel that prayer is a very private thing. I'm sure we've all done it in our homes every night. Why would our prayers be better heard by God in the street together than in private?"

"Because He dwells in the praise of His people. When we are gathered together as the unified Body of Christ, His Spirit moves powerfully. Things happen. The Body of Christ was meant and designed for unity, not privacy."

"Well, be that as it may, we don't want to do anything in the village that may look like an uprising. The guards would show up to put an end to that."

"So, use your time wisely."

 

That night, Gina appeared before the children of Vulgaria in her idea of an icebreaker: a green tunic (in which she had cut a triangle pattern into the hem), tights, and cap that sported a turkey feather she had painted red. "Good evening, Lost Boys and Girls!" she trumpeted.

"Peter Pan!"

"Uh-huh! Gina can't make it tonight because she's planning something really fun for you guys. But she told me to hold down the fort for her. Which means – no lessons, no growing up. Only shadow puppet shows and making fun the Bombursts!" _Speaking of people who never grew up…_

The children cheered.

"Did you bring Tinkerbell?" one of them asked.

"She wouldn't miss it. In fact, she's going to give us our spotlight tonight." Hidden in one of her hands was a small clicker that emitted light when depressed, courtesy of her grandfather. "Tinkerbell" flashed on the cavern wall for them as the children audible marveled. Then "Tinkerbell" "spoke" to them with the sound of a small, round sleigh bell hidden in Gina's other hand. "Tink, will you provide us with some fairy light for the shadow puppets?"

Tinkerbell jingled.

Gina Pan sighed. "Okay. How about 'please'?"

Tinkerbell jingled with more enthusiasm.

Gina Pan knelt by a crate with a round hole cut in the side wherein the bottom of a broken glass juice jug was fastened. Tink fluttered and jingled inside the box and Gina lit the large, flat candle that was inside. The firelight projected through the glass and created a large spotlight on the nearest cave wall, much to the delight and amazement of the children. "Thanks, Tink," said Gina Pan. "That'll do nicely." Then, Gina Pan tested the shadow-making quality of the light with her hand. "Oh, shadow. You decided to join us tonight. That's swell."

"Is that your shadow, Peter?" one child asked.

"Sure is. Wave, shadow." Gina made her shadow wave.

"It's so big."

"Well, he likes to show off sometimes." Gina Pan got up and walked as far in front of the light as the particular rock plateau would let her. When she was able to see move of herself, she put her hands on her hips. "There we go. Hey, shadow! Would you like to meet some other shadows?" Silently, Gina pulled her arms in and did a little jump dance. "Alright then." Gina Pan turned to the throng of watching kids. "Who wants to come meet my shadow? Don't crowd the light, now."

Gina Pan's shadow spent some time in the act of shaking the hands of other shadows that greeted hers. In addition to playing along with them, Gina stood amazed at how much entertainment kids could derive from simply a spotlight. They danced, frolicked, tried to put animal ears on each other, and, above all, cracked each other up.

Suddenly, a giant shadow of a hand crawled into view with an unconvincing monster sound that made the other children and Gina laugh. The giant hand began to pluck at the smaller shadows, which caused their owners to bob and weave as if they could actually be touched. The excitement naturally manifested squeals of fake, fun fear.

Then, the owner of the giant shadow hand announced, "I'm the Child Catcher! Rarr!"

This caused some children to squeal and others to laugh, as before. And Gina to blush.  Vividly.

"It's a good thing he's not a giant," one of the children said.

"I'll say," Gina Pan agreed. _That would work out for him a little too well, now wouldn't it?_

Despite the foreboding connotation, the children continued to amuse themselves with the idea.

"He could pick us up off the street like little mice!"

"And put us in his cage, like a box. He could carry it in one hand!"

"Forget the street – he could pick up your house and shake you out!"

"His nose would be the size of your house." This got laughs.

"Eww!" some of them protested.

"He'd be even more scary!"

"Alright, let's not talk about that, then!" Gina Pan called with haste.  "Someone's gonna dream about that tonight. Nobody needs that."  She muttered to herself, "Least of all me."  _What?_   she teased herself.  _You don't need that strange face filling up your window?  His fingers tapping on your wall from the outside?_

_Oh, you are the worst.  Nope, don't need that, shut-up.  Not thinkin' about it._

And yet, although she was in a cave with no windows, she had a strange feeling as if she was in that moment she was trying to avoid visualizing.  He was looming, in every sense to her, filling the only window in her small room as he looked in on her.  Unlike her vision from earlier, this was her musing and she willed herself to hide, indeed a fool-proof hiding place, against the wall next to the window, the only spot in the room he couldn't see her.  But, as clearly as if there was no wall between them, she heard his voice gently calling, with an audible smile, in a lilting cadence as if he were singing, _"Gina?  Where are you?  I'm not going to hurt you..."_

Suddenly, beyond her control, stinging tears welled up in her eyes.  Reflexively, her hand flew to her mouth, as if that would abate the tears or the way she felt.  She sucked in her breath and held it, as if that, too, would keep those things at bay.  But the source was not fear.  Something inside her was breaking.  Her defenses were breaking.  Her heart was breaking.

The children, however, were oblivious.  "But Peter Pan would save us," one boy persisted. "He can just fly up to the Child Catcher's hands and bring some fairy dust so we can fly away."

The heat from a new blush rushed up her chest and neck and into her cheeks.  She wanted to close her eyes to get a hold of her herself, but knew that would push out the tears she was carefully balancing.  She was gripped by the ickiest of guilt and it commanded her attention like a bright, annoying point of light from which she could not look away or shield her gaze. _I'm supposed to be the hero. So, why do I feel like the worst kind of jerk for resisting Julian? He's the jerk…isn't he?  Isn't that why everyone is so afraid of him?  I seem to be the only one finding it hard to fear him...but, I don't want to fight him, either...  
_

"Gina?" a child's voice called her back into the moment. "You'd save us, right?"

Gina breathed deeply and quietly and nodded rapidly.  "Yeah! Yeah. Of course, I would…" _Snap out of it, girl! Instill some security in these kids. Don't drop the ball._ Gina Pan straightened up, placing her fists on her hips triumphantly.  _I can't!_ she panicked. _I can't say the words!_

 _Yes, you can,_ she urged herself. _Just do it.  You need to do it for them.  Think of the last person you laughed at who deserved it._  

"Hah!" she recovered.  "Giant or no giant, you don't have to worry about the Child Catcher so long as I'm around. He won't get anywhere near you.  Hah-hah!"

 

Gina continued to feel the heartburn on her long walk back to the toy shop in the cool and utter silence of the night. Julian's "Gina, where are you?" still echoed in her mind and had taken on a life of it's own from hauntingly teasing to a more literal question.  Even though barely an hour had passed since she first imagined it, she seemed to be unable to recall his question as anything but earnest...and longing.  _"I"m not going to hurt you."_   Gina stopped in the street and turned around to look up at the castle, mostly dark, but with a few windows glowing with a golden light.  She broke down.  With no one to see her, she dropped to her knees and let the hot tears fall and the compassion crush in on her.  _It just doesn't feel right to be against him. And I'm tired of fighting it. I just...can't...do it.  It's not right...it's not right. It does feel like injustice. But why?_

 _Then, why don't you give him a chance?_ Jesus intervened.

 _A chance?_ Gina inquired cautiously. _A chance at what? I keep seeing him trying to hold me, stroke me! Have You seen this guy?  And, by the way, where the heck have You been all day?  
_

_So, what's wrong with a hug?_ He inquired.

_I have to respect myself as a woman, you know. I'm inclined to shut those thoughts down as being from the flesh not the spirit. But, are You condoning physical intimacy with Julian?_

_Maybe I'm revealing something unseen to you._

_I was afraid of that._

_What if the hug means something besides arrogant lust?_ Jesus proposed.

Gina gave it some thought. _…Vulnerability? Need for companionship?_

 _Mm-hm,_ Jesus nodded. _Now, why do you suppose you're feeling guilty about thinking those ugly thoughts about dear Julian? No pun intended._

_Because You want me to think about him differently than anyone else does. That's my job, as a daughter of the King. …Is that how You see him? Is that something that's inside of him that You're trying to tell me about?_

_Bingo. There's a reason I chose you for this mission. It's because you listen and are willing to submit to My heart, not the heart of the world. So, don't be afraid. And don't let the earthly fears of others discount what you feel in My Spirit. Remember, My Kingdom reality is truer than your physical reality. One day, the things of this world will fade away and exist no more. But store up your treasures in Heaven, in what is true by our Father God, and those things will not only come to pass on earth, but make it into eternity._

_Yes, I know. But Jesus…_ Gina sighed away the tension in her chest. _I feel like that's a slippery slope for me. If You lead me into compassion for Julian…I'm afraid of where that will lead. At any rate, the villagers have a tremendous amount of trust in me to protect their children, and fraternizing with the Child Catcher flies right in the face of that._

_I know you're afraid of your flesh getting in the way. But don't worry, beloved, I've got this. And, through Me, you've got this. Don't listen to the doubts of others. My peace and My strength I give to you. My grace is sufficient for you. Would I lead you astray?_

_No, never. You lead me by still waters and are always with me. I just want to make sure it's You, not temptation of the flesh. Which is odd to say about a guy like that. Something like this can only be attributed to You._

_You're wise to check yourself, Gina. You don't have to trust Julian yet. Just trust Me. Let Me carry your burden. Just take a step of faith for Me and open your heart to him a little. I think you'll find he has much to offer you._

_If you say so, Chief._ Gina sighed as if getting ready to jump from a great height – a literal leap of faith. _I'm in. Bring it. Call out the Child Catcher._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case Gina's behavior seems a bit confusing, her internal wrestling is actually true of Christian spiritual experience and reflective of what I went through the entire week before I gave in to writing this story. While it may seem convenient in the storytelling to have Gina fall in love with the Child Catcher by supernatural means, I wanted to showcase that the transformative power of the Holy Spirit even over the way we feel about others is a real phenomenon. I could have developed Gina's attraction more along the lines of Julian's quantifiable merits, but, at the risk of losing a few readers, I wanted to unpack this seldom-understood spiritual process. Notwithstanding that there was not enough plot to support a gradual love story and I would much rather things be a little zany at the cost of realism than to reflect the boring natural course of life. To be honest, "in my world," as Alice (Wonderland) might say, these types of spiritual adventures are pretty common place and I have had many a conversation with the Lord just like the ones Gina has, in nature, not necessarily full dialogue (which is there for the sake of the coherency of the story).
> 
> While the anti-Catcher sentiments of the Vulgarian villagers are believable unto their story universe, they also serve as a satire of the unbelievable Catcher hatred out there on the Internet. Although tailored to fit the story, the emotive quality in their dialogue is not exaggerated, in my estimation.


	4. Inner Child

The next morning, Gina felt refreshed as if she had had a good workout, followed by an awesome night's rest. She was not tormented by thoughts of Julian. She felt stable and clean and secure. Her mind was clear enough to focus on other things, practical or whimsical. Nothing invigorates like a good wrestle in the Spirit, she thought with a jocular smile.

In the early afternoon, while Gina was journaling on her bed, she heard a knock at the toy shop door downstairs. _Oh, boy. Here we go._ She felt a very small amount of fear cause her blood to tingle, but it was quickly overcome by the solidarity of her peace. She loved that about the Holy Spirit. She didn't even have to fight her own fears, nor those of anyone else. She had been healed overnight.

As Gina listened at the top of the stairs, she heard her grandpa barking. "You think you're somehow in disguise in that thing? Well, there's no colorful garment that can hide your darkness, Fletcher. And she's not here anyway."

"Then, where is she?" Julian retorted. "I'm warning you, toymaker!"

"You can throw your royal privilege around, but she'll never be dumb enough or weak enough to give in to your lechery! And I'll go to prison protecting her, if I have to. Don't come around here anymore! She's not interested!"

Meanwhile, Gina slipped down the stairs to the back door that lead out into a small, fenced, overgrown backyard area where her grandfather kept large scrap materials and things that he'd been meaning to refurbish or trash altogether. She sidled out the wooden gate into the weedy alley and crept along the shop until she was in view of the porch.

Julian was wearing the bouquet hat again, but over his usual black attire, he was wearing a mustard-gold robe with pastel-colored flowers printed on it and long, drooping sleeves trimmed in bright orange. Just as Julian was about to mount his black horse, a metal bucket rolled up and bumped his ankle, drawing his gaze and causing him to look over his shoulder on that side. He cocked his head quizzically, but smiling pleasantly, to see Gina standing behind the farthest porch pillar. She gestured to him to wait, thumbed down the street, then gestured again for waiting, then thumbed to herself and also pointed down the street in the same direction. His smile broadening into an impressed sly one, he nodded, mounted his horse, and walked the horse in the direction of the castle as if leaving.

Gina ducked back inside via the rear entrance and slipped quietly upstairs, only to make an obvious display of coming back down. "Was that Cyrano de Bergerac again?"

"Heh," Johannes laughed, followed by a long groan as he continued to sand a wooden form in his hand. "Yes, it was."

"Well, thank you for being a buffer for me."

"Of course, dearest. If he persists, we might have to relocate you."

"No one expected this drama, did they?" she chuckled.

"I've been asking God why He would call you to look after the children and then allow the Child Catcher to take a fancy to you." Johannes shook his head. "It just doesn't seem fair."

"Well, I'm going to go out in the countryside to get inspired for tonight's session with the kids."

Johannes peered out the window, looking around to both sides to make sure Julian was nowhere in sight. Then, he turned back to Gina. "Alright. Have you had lunch?"

"I'll grab something in the market and have myself a picnic."

"Very well. Be safe."

 _Because grandpas are cool like that._   "I'll be back for dinner before I head out to the grotto tonight. I just need some fresh air and sunshine. Especially if I'm gonna be in that cave for a few hours."

Her alibi smoothly in place, Gina left through the front doors this time, as if nothing was amiss. She trotted down the street in the direction she had seen Julian leave. _Sneaking out the house to meet a boy? Definitely revisiting my youth, here._

 

Gina felt like she was walking quite a ways without seeing him. _How far did he go? This is plenty far from the market…_

"So. You're not quite as innocent as you seem," his tinny but smooth voice drew her attention to an alley where Julian was casually leaning against a building in the shadows.

"Oh, that was kindergarten compared with some stuff I've had to pull regularly over the years," she replied casually.

"Oh?" Julian approached her, guiding his horse by the reigns.

"Yeah. I'll put it this way: my personal objectives are not always…accepted by those closest to me, and I've become rather resourceful with obstacles."

Julian had a way of smiling smugly that made it look like he was having a fond memory he could easily fall asleep to. "You defied and deceived your grandfather to come see me. I'm flattered."

"Well, don't read too much into it yet. This is just protocol."

"Well, I hope we don't have to stand on ceremony too long." Julian reached out with a gloved hand and gently stroked her hair back from her forehead.

Gina changed the subject. "You're dressed rather interestingly today."

Julian bowed slightly as if to perform. "I thought we might have a little fun today. Put off your juggling education no more."

Gina smirked. "And lure my inner child into your clutches, eh?"

Julian smiled flirtatiously. "Challenge accepted. I know where to look."

"What will you do with it once you have it?"

"I'll take good care of it, I promise. You'll want for nothing."

"Well, that's exactly what the villagers want me to want from you." She grinned wryly at her own joke.

Julian crossed his arms, still smiling, but his tone was bland. "You are quite witty."

 

Julian Fletcher riding up to the castle gate with a ravishing young woman in the saddle behind him was a welcome riot for the bored soldiers above on the walkway.

"Now, there's something you don't see every day!" one of them laughed, drawing the gazes of the two on the horse.

"They're getting a little older, don't you think, Catcher?" another joined in.

"He didn't even have his cage for that one. Either he's that good or she was too easy."

"Hey, if that's the catch these days, I might have to put in a job application."

But Julian was unamused by their humor. "Just open the gate, you fools—or else _you'll_ be sitting in my cage!"

The guards gave in and set to work on the pulley system that opened and shut the massive, wooden gates.

Julian dismounted in the stable and delighted in catching Gina's body as she fell towards him off the tall animal. Stable hands rushed forward to tend to his horse. As usual, he said nothing to them and, even with Gina on his arm, they, unlike the jeering guards, said nothing to him.  They didn't dare.  However, that did not stop them from staring and whispering eagerly amongst each other.  Unlike the elite Julian Fletcher, accustomed to palace life, merchant-class Gina was not ignoring the servants and was keenly aware of their secretive commotion over the new beauty on the arm of the beast.

Upon passing through the carriage house to access the entry to the keep, Gina noticed the one carriage made entirely of iron bars, save for the panel behind the driver's bench, which was solid wood with a small, barred window at the top. _Is that the infamous 'cage' I keep hearing about?_   "Is that your 'party bus'?"

Julian looked where she was pointing and then smirked. "Indeed. She cleans up quite nicely. In both senses of the phrase."

Gina followed Julian up a flight of stairs to a hallway where he stopped at an elevator with a highly decorative, wrought iron gate. Julian opened the gate and stepped aside with a bow.

"What is this?" she asked.

"It's an elevator," he said. "Appropriately named due to its function to elevate passengers from one floor to another by an electricity-powered pulley system, circumventing the laborious use of our many stairs. Courtesy of our court scientists."

Gina's brow was risen with awe.

Julian unfurled his hand to her.

Gina stood there a moment. "I'm getting into a tiny closet with the Child Catcher."

Julian cocked his head and batted his eyelashes innocently. "Your other option is walking up three flights of stairs that are more like walking up six."

Gina took his hand.

Once inside the elevator, Julian closed the gate and then pulled a grate across the threshold, which he locked. "Ah," Gina said with a sarcastic, but uncomfortable smile.  "I stand corrected.  I'm getting into a _cage_ with the Child Catcher."

There was an usually long pause, as if Julian had lost his mental Rolodex of witty comebacks.  Then, he said smoothly, but blandly, and a little quickly, "Well, then, you're quite brave for doing so, willingly, aren't you?"  His tone was so flat that Gina couldn't tell if he was being playfully sly or if his feelings were actually hurt.  To the right of the door was a panel with a few buttons on it; Julian pushed the largest one in the center. There was a loud generator sound and a jolt, then fluid motion upward.

Gina used the brief jerky movement to act as though she lost her balance and took a slight step backwards into Julian.  Then, belying her staged "accident," she stayed there and let her back rest against his chest.  To bridge the lingering silence, she said, "At least it's warm."

Silently, Julian slowly lifted his warm, gloved hands and cupped them over each of her petite shoulders.

 

The next leg of the trip was down the third-story hall to Julian's quarters. The private halls glistened with polished marble.

Much to Gina's surprise, Julian's room exuded warmth. There was a crimson and gold theme to the walls, upholstery, and décor, as well as leather and dark woods. There was a single, tall window across from the door. The crimson and gold curtains were open, leaving a thin, gossamer white curtain to filter the day's light. It made Gina want to open the window, curl up in the leather armchair, and read something. Perhaps pull over that mahogany in table to rest her tea on.

Julian opened a door on the bed-side wall to a very large walk-in closet that made Gina feel like she was stepping into a backstage dressing room, complete with both full-standing and vanity mirror strung with lights. It, too, was a deep red and reminded her of an old theater. While Julian began to rummage for suitable juggling tools among the labeled boxes on the shelves, Gina looked around at the rack of bright robes and lively tunics and the shelf of hats.

"So," she said, "this is where the magic begins."

Julian looked at her with a smirk. "Depends on who you ask."

She replied coolly, "Well…I prefer to see the good in things."

"Foolish girl," he teased with another smirk.

All of a sudden, Gina found herself waxing philosophical. "Being able to see the good where others see darkness doesn't mean you're naïve about the darkness. People are afraid of the dark, Julian, because they can't see in the dark. They don't trust it. I, on the other hand, can see in the dark just fine and it doesn't scare me. Ergo, I can focus on what's good."

Julian stared at her with respect. Then, he bowed to her at the shoulder, twirling his hand in the air. "You are definitely more than what you seem, Frauline Gina."

"So are you."

Julian cocked his head pensively in acknowledgement.

"How does a man of your lifestyle come by entertainer skills?"

"This wasn't always my lifestyle," Julian answered. "I grew up in a traveling gypsy show. When we came to Vulgaria, years ago, the Bombursts were so impressed by my skills that they wanted me at court."

"So, you're not actually from Vulgaria. You're a gypsy?"

Julian was silent for a few seconds as if he hadn't heard the question. Then, he said, in a suddenly lifeless voice that surprised Gina, "My parents sold me to those gypsies at a young age."

The air in the closet suddenly became heavy to Gina. The silence was deafening. Her mouth fell open. "Your parents _sold_ you? Why?"

With a wan smile, Julian turned to meet her gaze and tapped the side of his nose.

Gina's eye's widened in horrified awe. They began to sting with the onset of welling with tears and her voice came hoarsely. "Because of your nose?"

"Well, they were from affluent circles and not quite satisfied with their son's 'disfigurement.' The gypsies didn't mind at all and were more than happy to take me in for a bribe. But, look how I turned out. Living a life of luxury. When the Bombursts grew bored of me, however—which is no slight to my skill, it's merely their thirst for new thrills—the Baroness found my capabilities a role in the community she felt was much more suitable. And the office of Child Catcher was born. With my carnival-esque appeal, I would lure the forbidden children to my carriage, which you've now seen, and deliver them to the castle dungeon such as to relieve the Baroness of her suffering."

Something inside the very core of Gina was breaking, even at a spiritual level. It felt so literal to her that she could almost feel it crumbling. But she was able to delay its effect in a skeptical question. "How does imprisoning them relieve her suffering? Why didn't she order you to kill them?"

Julian shrugged. "Because she didn't. And she wouldn't need me to do that when we've got plenty of guards who could easily do it by force."

"Would you have followed that order, if given to you?"

Julian eyed her for a few seconds, then in a sigh, he said, "That would seem to me to be too merciful."

"Too merciful? What do you have against children?"

"Plenty of things, nothing unusual. But, most of all that they _have_ parents."

Gina was the very picture of shock, making it hard to keep her stable façade intact. Her eyes welled to fullness and, like a master juggler, she spent a significant amount of energy trying to keep them balanced in suspension. "You're _jealous_?" she whispered.

Julian's eyes shifted from one side to the other. "You could put it that way."

"Julian…I'm so sorry…" With a long inhale that rattled incriminatingly, she quickly and calmly rubbed her escaping tears off her face, as if doing so would mask the fact that she was moved.

Head slightly cocked, but face unreadable, Julian stepped up to her and put a leather-gloved palm to her cheek, stroking it once with his thumb. After doing so, using the same hand, he gave a stroke to her other cheek with the back of his index and middle finger. "I came out on top."

"Not if you haven't forgiven your parents," she said. "Of course, you've rather fashioned a career out of the misdirected revenge."

"What does it matter? They're probably both long gone by now, anyway. Neither their affairs nor welfare concern me."

"It matters because you carry the weight of that bitterness with you and it effects who you allow yourself to become. Don't you want to be free?"

"I _am_ free. I've got everything I want. Wealth, power, respect…"

"Everything, huh?"

"Well…maybe 'everything' is a strong word," he smiled, seemingly humbly. "Give it a few weeks, then. You can't rush these things, you know?"

Gina was at first puzzled by his cryptic statement, until he bent down in front of her, their noses almost touching, his smile bearing more teasing flirtation now than humility, and flicked his finger downward off the end of her nose. Suddenly, he seized her midriff with his fingertips and tickled her, releasing a sort of crackling, hissing sound that took on the rhythm of his own chuckle.

Gina reflexively laughed and jumped back. Julian went back to gathering props for the day's lesson as if nothing had happened. But the sudden burst of laughter left Gina in awe of her own peace. Moments ago, she was brokenhearted with compassion. But, now, she felt fresh again. She was surprised that his immature, childlike transition did not offend her, but, rather filled her with gladness, and even hope. His brief act of silliness was like a small drop of color in a glass of colorless liquid, spreading through her as it melted. _Who is this guy?_

 

In the castle courtyard, with a gentle breeze cooling the heat of the day, both Gina and Julian were each holding three balls of different colors. Having shed his gloves, Julian was motioning with one of the balls in his gesturing hand while he was giving instruction. He began to juggle his handful. Several times, he bounced one ball to the stone ground and then picked it up in the cycle again without missing a beat. In trying to brace the balls to her body while clapping, Gina dropped one; with a little hop, Julian gently kicked it back to her.

"Yeah, um, not gonna be able to follow that act," Gina joked.

"Who says you need to follow my act?" Julian asked. "Just start simple." He then set his balls on the ground and made his way to Gina with a soft-shoe skip. Instead of merely stepping behind her, he twirled, which billowed his robe out around him, touching her legs as it fell, as if to envelop her. He finished with his hands on her shoulders to get his bearings. Or for other reasons.

"Show off," Gina said. "That was criminal how cute that was." Gina laughed silently at her own pun, bobbing her head rapidly with her mouth wide open, like a puppet.

Julian replied by tickling her again, relishing the squeal and squirm it produced. Gina lost control of her juggling balls in the act of tightening her defenses.

Once she had gotten a hold of herself and her voice, she said, "I want to learn how to do that…that little skip. That just looks like a marvelous way to walk. Going to the store, going to the kitchen… Why walk when you can do that? And then other people will say the same thing."

"All in good time," Julian said. "I'm going to make a juggler out of you, first. Then, you can do both at same time. Heh-heh."

Gina laughed derisively at herself. "We'll see about that."

In her ear, brushing her hair with his cheek, he cooed, "Aww, where's that inner child, Gina?"

Gina almost shuddered, not just from the eeriness, but from the delight of that eeriness. In lieu of a shudder, her circuits tingled. Gina decided to go with flirtatious defiance. "She's hiding from you."

Julian turned his head towards her, with a sly smile that made her stomach do a little dance like he had. "Challenge accepted. I've drawn out every child in this village."

Gina sucked on her lips to suppress the physical signs on laughter in her face. _Pfft! No, you haven't. Fail._ "Perhaps you've finally met your match, Julian Fletcher, Child Catcher."

"Hah! You are a saucy one." Bending a little at the knees to become her height, he extended his arms out on either side of her, palms up. "Now. Arms out."

Gina followed his instructions. Julian then moved his hands and arms beneath hers and gently gripped her hands, which also caused his chest to touch her back and that silky ascot to touch her neck. Her palms, arms, and chest lit up with that prickly sensation again.  He smelled like a bakery. He moved her hands in the proper motion for ease of juggling. _I can see how a child would be tempted to follow and run to such a person… If only he were not using all this charm for villainous intent._

"Got the feel of it?" he paused.

By virtue of his position, his cheek was so close to hers that there was nowhere she could turn her head towards him without touching it. And he had already turned slightly inward to pose the question. Gina almost hated _not_ to turn her head and get a face full of his warm, soft cheek. Instead, she opted for a tease.  She turned just a little, intentionally brushing the inside of his elongated nose with the tip of hers. "I'm not sure," she said as if she was falling asleep.  "Could you do it again?  This time, slower? First-timer."

He hesitated for two seconds, as if evaluating the weight of her words. Then, he said ever so gently, barely moving his lips, "Of course." He began again, not speaking this time, but simply gyrating her arms slowly in the same circular pattern. She was surprised by the amount of peace she was feeling.  It was like that feeling she had after a glass of wine - nearly sacked out and not caring about a thing.  Even when her mind took warning.  _What next? Where does this go, lest I pull away?  We're all dead, if he finds out why I'm here.  But how can I pull away when I feel so...whole in his arms?  I don't think I have the will power._   Gina took a deep, slow breath and relaxed against Julian's forward weight. Closing her eyes to take the plunge, Gina let her cheek drift into his. His cheek was warmer than she expected, but not sweaty. The heat of the day? Or was there simply a lot of blood concentrated in that area from the anticipation of the moment?

Julian's motions slowed to an arbitrary aimlessness, clearly indicating his attention had shifted.  Then, not breaking hold, he wrapped both of their arms around her. The large bell sleeves of his gold-colored robe draped over her chest like closing curtains. Then, like a child being comforted by a favorite toy, Julian began to gently sway.

Almost chuckling, Gina half expected him to start humming. _This is the nefarious, dreaded Child Catcher of Vulgaria? The bane of Vulgarian village life? The family wrecker?_ _Does he get any_ more _adorable?_ She wasn't sure how long he was planning to stand there and do this, and, granted, she herself felt like she could do this for the next hour at least.  But what was _he_ waiting for, Gina wondered? Why didn't he have his way with her already?  _Maybe he's a gentleman after all._ _What if…_ _seducing the Child Catcher could turn this tide in our favor? That giving him what he wants could, at some point down the road, save the children, not endanger them?  
_

__What__ he _ _wants?  Gina, don't kid yourself.  You could never fake _falling in love with a man like this, even for an evening...no matter what's at stake.  Thing about you is...you___ are _ _falling in love with him.  You might be there already.__

Now, Gina treated herself to that face-full of cheek she'd been practically salivating for ever since he lowered it to her.  Very shortly, without her own efforts, she found her lips were touching lips.  Full, soft, and wet.  She welcomed his upper lip by sucking in between her teeth. This apparently excited him, causing him to press in. She inhaled through her nose, her eyes rolling up into her closing lids as if someone had just stabbed her with a tranquilizer dart. He cradled the back of her head in his palm. She grabbed the back of his thin, black hair, finding it soft and clean. The sensation of his long nose pressed far up her cheek was an interesting one, unique to kissing Julian. It was like having his thumb there, but softer and a little more pliable. She then inserted her tongue between his lips, flirting with the edges of his teeth. Like a shy boy coming to the door to meet his crush, Julian's tongue peeked out from behind his teeth to touch hers. Gina had briefly become unaware of her legs and she wondered if she was still able to stand or if that was an illusion created by the support of his embrace. If given long enough in this state of heavy peace, perhaps they would give way like melting chocolate.

"Oh, Julian!" called the Baroness from the porch of the keep. "There you are!"

Julian immediately pulled away from Gina's face and looked up to respond to her Highness' summon, but not without a snarl and muttering, "For the love of God…"

But Gina, keeping her mouth closed, began to squeeze an amused but subtle hoarse-sounding chuckle through her throat.

From the porch, the Baroness continued, "Please bring your lady friend to tea!"

 

Out on the balcony, overlooking a breathtaking view of the woodsy Vulgarian landscape around the castle, a rectangular table was set with a white table cloth. Baron and Baroness Bomburst and a few other court dignitaries were already seated with their tea and some kind of pie.

"Ah-haaah!" the Baron announced. "Ah-ha-ha-haah! Here is the chu-chi-woo-chi pair!"

 _Really?_ Gina thought with ire, feeling her face tingle with embarrassment. _Is there a conspiracy going on here?_

Julian, having shed his colorful garment in favor of the formal atmosphere, shuffled ahead of Gina to pull out her chair, which he did with a bow and grandiose flourish of his free arm.

"Why, thank you," Gina said, taking her seat. "I wish I had known. I would have put on something a little fancier."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Gina," Julian said. "You are lovely. And you're in good company."

 _That irony is richer than this pie_ , she thought. "Hmm," said Gina, trying a bite. "Mmm. What is this?"

"That," said Julian, "is a treacle tart."

"Ohhh. I've heard of them and I've always wondered what they were. It's like a lemony, maple waffle. Breakfast of champions." Casually, she mused, "It needs a little vanilla ice cream, though."

Julian snapped his fingers and, before Gina could prepare another bite, he had snatched her plate and was handing it to the appearing servant. "Get some vanilla ice cream on this."

But as the servant was nodding and agreeing, Baron Bomburst blurted out, "Ooh, me, too! That sounds _wunderbar_!"

The servant took the baron's plate, as well, and left the balcony.

"You have good ideas, Frauline Gina," the baron said.

"Vanilla ice cream goes on everything," she said, jocularly.

"She is a smart cookie," Julian smirked, giving her an insider side glance.

"So, Gina," the Baron said, "what do you think of this one, eh?"

"The treacle tart?" Gina asked.

"No, no, no. Julian."

"Of Julian?" Gina's brow rose. She stalled with, "What do I think of Julian?" _Oh, dear God_ , Gina thought. _Do I go with an honest answer, or a humorous answer? If I give a non-committal answer, will this knucklehead pursue one? Should I sing Julian's praises for show? But Julian is sitting right here. What is really going on here?_

To be expected, the Baron didn't wait for her to recover from her hesitation. "Ah, too shy, eh?"

Gina took the prompt, gratefully, with a sly smile. "A woman shouldn't reveal everything she thinks in public, at the drop of a hat. Even his hat," she thumbed aside. " _Especially_ his hat." _He didn't even have to drop his hat._

To her surprise, Julian supported her answer. "She is a woman of mystery. Isn't that what makes her worth the hunt?" Either with smarmy arrogance or innocent playfulness—Gina couldn't tell which—Julian reached over to her jaw and gave the flesh a series of slight pinches.

The Baron chuckled coyly.

"But," Gina offered, "just to drive you all wild…Julian has proven to be quite the gentleman so far." She glanced at him sidelong, catching him with a little smile and tossing his head in a flattered fashion.

The Bombursts, however, chuckled as if Gina had said something suggestive about bedroom activities. Their sophomoric nature was beginning to get on her nerves, though she tried not to let this show on her face.

Right in front of them, the Baron said, with no filter, to the Baroness, "Looks like we'll be preparing a room for her upstairs."

Gina's eyes widened. "Um! Heh. I really appreciate your hospitality, Your Highnesses, but I must insist on staying with my grandpa, who needs my help. That's the whole reason I came to Vulgaria in the first place."

"Precisely," Julian said, again to her surprise. "Who will help him bring you new toys, Your Highness?"

"Ah, yes, yes," the Baron considered. "A very good point you make. Gina, I should show you my treasury of your grandfather's work."

"I've heard you have quite an impressive collection."

The baron laughed triumphantly. "I do! The most impressive there has ever been in all the world!"

 _They are all children_ , Gina realized. _They are just big children. And yet, they despise children. What is the deal? Perhaps those two opposing facts make these people all the more scary._ Gina decided to make a political contribution in her own favor. "Well, youth is so wasted on the young, anyway, am I right?"

The Baron looked at her quizzically.

Julian stepped in, his amused smile lingering. "She is complimenting Your Highness' deft harnessing, in your infinite wisdom and vitality, of the things of youth that children themselves don't properly appreciate or utilize."

Julian's interpretation made the Baron brighten. "Wisdom and vitality I have, yes. She is very perceptive. A silver tongue she has. Like you, Julian." He winked suggestively.

"I've noticed."

"Ugh, children," the Baroness fanned herself as if she would faint otherwise. "Surely, Gina, as a proper lady, you find them to be terrifying and filthy."

Gina pretended to gag. "Please, Your Highness. I'm about to eat."

"Oh, my thoughts exactly," the Baroness leaned over the table with emphatic sympathy. "Let's not talk of children while we're eating. It will disrupt my digestion."

Gina was thinking of some complicated questions about royal succession in a land that forbade children. But she decided to sit on them.

She was greatly relieved when the Baron was finally stuffing his face with the ice-cream-enhanced treacle tart and not ostentatiously asking her unbearably awkward questions about her relationship progress with Julian. And also relieved that she was right – the ice cream was an excellent complement to the maple-y, lemony, buttery tart.

In her periphery, she noticed Julian going for a sip of tea. _Oh, this I've gotta see. How does he do it?_ But her anticipated of a conflict was not rewarded. The tea cup was just wide enough to accommodate the length of his nose, even as he tipped it towards his lips. _What happens when he drinks anything that has a whipped cream topping? I mean, us short-nosed people have enough trouble not slathering our faces in it. Or does he avoid those kinds of things from experience?_

As conversation continued around her, Gina found herself ruminating on the effeminate purity of the Baroness' personality. It was obvious to Gina that her mind was as airy as an empty attic and her outlook on children, let alone anything else, was dismayingly twisted and arrogant. Still, it was hard for Gina to think about that as she found the Baroness' dainty, lilting, and graceful quality greatly disarming. In fact, something about it generated a spark in Gina's own femininity and purity, especially on display in front of men who would be enticed by that. She had felt that way in her worship of God plenty of times, her Father God who made her feel not only like a happy child, but a radiant woman. Since coming to Vulgaria, Gina now realized that she'd been neck-deep in sophisticated, on-guard, spy mode, which was making these light and whimsical sensations feel fresh.

 _Hrrrgh, stop it!_ Gina scolded herself. _These are the villains of Vulgaria! We're already pushin' it with "Handsy McGo-for-it" over here. And now you're getting charmed to pieces by the very mistress of your plight, too? You're going to get us all killed._

 _Will you chill out?_ she scoffed at her uptight self. _I'm not suggesting you take her side on anything…except verbally, to keep up appearances. All I'm saying is that she has an enchanting way about her that is inspiring something in my soul. Feel it. There's no shame in admitting that. It's just an internal cause and effect. Or, maybe it's our friend, Holy Spirit, again._

_Yeah, well, you better watch that enchantment. This is getting ridiculous. You both are starting to worry me._

_Relax. Is this not the perfect laugh in the face to your enemies? God is exalting you before kings. You've got the grace and favor of Heaven coming out your ears. Julian already spoke of that earlier, in a veiled sense. They don't know what it is about you, they just know they are drawn to you. That's the light of God in you calling to the moths. So, be yourself – be charming and pleasant and demur and savvy – and let God do the rest. Yes, you can be every bit as beautiful, graceful, and pure as the Baroness seems. Maybe God is letting you soak in that to remind you that He put that in you._ _He can use anything to teach you, even your enemies. You are a pearl of great price to Him, a jewel in His crown to be admired in the very same way as you're admiring the Baroness._

After a pause for soaking in this new peace and confidence, another thought crept into her mind. _Do you think Julian thinks about her that way?_

_Oh, for Pete's sake! That's officially going too far! Shut up before you embarrass yourself to yourself. At any rate, the Baroness is very, very spoken for, alright? Yeesh.  
_

_That doesn't mean anything. All kinds of affairs go on at court. Don't you think he's ever—?_

_Shut up and finish your treacle tart._

 

That evening, throughout the grotto, kids in makeshift, felt, tri-corner hats and small, wooden swords cavorted around the rocks and structures in search of the treasure chest Gina had hidden.

"I found it!" one little boy shouted, drawing all the other children like pigeons to bread crumbs.

When he opened the treasure chest, the children gasped and rejoiced to see it full of candy. The nearest kids started grabbing handfuls.

"Oy, me hardies!" Gina shouted from nearby. "There be but a wee bit to go around to all o' ye. The loot is in equal share." Then, the children began to pass their handfuls back to other children who were having difficulty getting to the chest. Gina gave a hefty pirate laugh. "Ay, lads and lassies. Ya do yer cap'm proud, ye do."

"Where did you get all this candy, Gina?" one of them asked.

"Courtesy of Julian Fletcher, the Child Catcher. All free today."

"Did you have to sneak into his cage thing?"

"Nope," Gina smiled slyly. "He gave it to me. You might say he's a bit of a 'sucker' for me. Ha-ha-hah!"

A few kids chuckled at the humor, having no idea as to its layers of meaning.

Gina looked up at the cavern ceiling waxing pensive and grinning deliciously. "He's up there somewhere. With no idea." She released a high-pitched laugh that resembled that of a hyena.

"How did you escape?" one of the boys asked.

"I…walked away," Gina said plainly. "Does that ruin the suspense? I could make up a story where that vile trickster shoved me in the cage and I held my breath and squeezed through the bars. While the carriage was moving at full tilt. Even if that was possible, that would be kind of dangerous, actually. His name's Julian, by the way. Just in case it ever comes up."

"'Julian'?" some girl laughed. "What kind of a name is 'Julian'?"

"It sounds like 'Julia,'" a boy chimed in with amusement, making some other young kids laugh, mostly by virtue that he was laughing.

"That's a girl's name," his buddy added in agreement.

Gina rolled her eyes. "Well, come on, the poor guy can't catch a break. Cut him some slack. He's got quite a few things going against him. Not the least of which his name, for God's sake. You think your life sucks down here in the cave? Which it doesn't, now that I've turned you all into pirates and mermaids and Peter Pan's Lost Boys and Girls. Did you know that Julian's mom and dad sold him to gypsies as a boy because his face was so odd? Betcha didn't. He's carried that pain from childhood to adulthood. You've been sleeping on rocks and eating castle garbage for…a year or so? He's the Child Catcher because he's jealous that you all still have parents who love you."

There was a deafening silence in the cavern for a few seconds.

"Really?" someone asked.

"Yep," Gina said.

"Poor Julian," a girl said.

"Yeah," Gina said resolutely. "Poor Julian. The founder of the feast." Gina gestured open-handedly to the treasure chest that was now empty of its treasure. "So, here's today's Sunday School lesson: can we forgive Julian, and maybe even thank God he wants to be generous with me, so that I can generous with you?" Gina began to pray loudly, but calmly. "Lord Jesus, we forgive Julian, the Child Catcher, for lying and tricking the people and the children of Vulgaria. We extend Your grace to him as You extended your forgiveness and grace to us on the cross when we were all doing bad things. We invite Your Spirit to dwell in us so that Your mercy can flow through us. Help us to love Julian as You love him. As Your children, we know You created him for good, not evil, and we declare this over his life. Kids, can I get an 'amen'?"

"Amen!" the children responded, out of sync.

"And thank You, Jesus," Gina added, "that, because of Julian, we have this really cool pirate cove to play in!"

Some of the children cheered.

"Maybe someday soon, Julian will leave his net behind and come play with us. You know, I was playing with him today at the castle?"

"Really?" a girl near her asked with fascination.

"Yeah. He was teaching me how to juggle. And a little dance."

"You can juggle?" she laughed.

"Well…working on it. More dates with Julian needed for that."

"You make him sound really nice."

"He _is_ really nice. He's just been…misguided. He's been a bad boy, just needs some lovin'." Gina looked around, some of the kids having settled down with their treats. "Alright. Now that everyone's all sugared up, let's focus on some math."

The children groaned.

"Okay, pirate math."

A few of them cheered.

 

Upon collapsing onto her bed later that night, Gina's body turned to lead. Or, at least, that's what it felt like. She released an incredulous groan into her pillow. What a list of accomplishments. How did she make it through the day? Must have been all the tea, ice cream, treacle tart, and candy. A feeling of contentment and even triumph rested over her like a thick blanket. She figured she would fall asleep debating whether to get up and perform her nightly hygiene.

 


	5. Flirting With Disaster

As she perused the market for groceries, Gina's levity started drawing gazes. Void of children in their midst, the villagers had not seen such a pure expression of mirth in a long time. There was a skip in her step. She tried that little twinkle-toe thing that Julian did, which she was not able to replicate just right, but didn't care.

_I feel fun and footloose like the Child Catcher. I feel pure and demure like the Baroness. I feel like roaring with laughter like the Baron. I feel…embarrassed for admitting to all that. I need to lay down. Oh, yeah…groceries…_

Despite the puzzling realization of the unexpected influence on her gaiety, Gina preferred to let it flow. Time was too precious to stifle opportunities for peace and joy with confusion or some sort of rationale for propriety. So, she didn't question it. It was what it was.

"My, Gina," a plump woman grinned, "you sure are a light among us. Where do you get all this joy in a place like this?"

"Oh…well…I just feel…very fulfilled," Gina said. "Very whole."

"Things must be going well with the children," an old man nearby smiled.

"Oh, yes, the children are fine," Gina replied. "They've never had it so good."

"Well," the old man chuckled mockingly, but said politely, "that's optimistic of you."

"You seem to have really brought more to them than we expected," another man affirmed. "From what we hear from your grandfather, it sounds like you're really keeping their hopes alive."

"Well, thank you, Dan," Gina said. "I appreciate your support."

"They've sure needed it. We all do."

Without thinking, intending to be funny, she opened her arms and announced with long syllables, "All free today!"

Suddenly, the cheerful looks on people's faces melted away. Gina's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"Nothing," Dan said. "It's just uncanny how much you sounded like the Child Catcher."

"Really? He says that?" Gina bluffed, trying to remain cool despite her racing pulse. _Why did I do that? That was so stupid!_ "That's really too generic a phrase to attribute to one person, isn't it?"

"It's the way you said it."

"Well, I've _never_ heard him say that—it's not like we hang out, heheheh, that's just ludicrous—so that's just a little weird and a bit uptight of you people to accuse me of sounding like him. Come on." Despite the grip of awkwardness making her want to flee, she coached herself, _Don't rush. Just go about your business casually. But, do finish up._ "Anyway, I've got the kids being industrious and making crafts along with the lessons so that they will remember having fun while learning. We've done Peter Pan and pirates so far, which seems to be working well... And, frankly, the cave really works out for that theme… So…I'm really just kind of thinking of staying that course… That cave…man, it really rocks my socks… It inspires me every time I go in there. Sometimes even when I'm not there, heheh…"

 

On the way back to the toy shop, Gina continued to scold herself. _Why would you just openly imitate Julian like that? How dumb was that? You could have seriously blown your cover! You know how superstitious they are._

 _Well, how was I to know that it's a catch phrase he uses often enough to be known by it? And how did it creep up on me like that? It just…bubbled up. I was in the zone. Oy, it's prime time to sack out on the porch with one of those butterscotch suckers I suckered out of Julian's hands_ …

Suddenly, Gina found her vision obscured by tightly-woven netting and the pressure of a thin, metal hoop in her midriff slowly pulling her backwards. She nearly dropped her baskets, but she smirked. Without turning around, she said, "Hello, Julian."

Julian cackled slowly, and softly, to avoid drawing attention, reeling her in until he was holding the rod of his net at the base of the hoop. "Good afternoon, my little edelweiss."

Gina looked over her shoulder. "I'll be honest. If you actually snatched a frightened adolescent in this thing, they would drag you all over this town."

"Typically used for smaller prey," he answered.

"And women who bare you no animosity."

"A new and favorite use for it." Julian then lifted the net off of her. "Care to take a little walk in the secret gardens of Vulgaria?"

"Secret gardens?"

"Well, its mostly weeds in the labyrinth of back allies, but some of them do bear flowers. Use your imagination." He smiled.

 _A walk with my seedy sweety in a weedy 'garden.' Well…_ "Sure. But my hands are a bit full…"

Julian held out his net. "Today's lesson: unique uses for the Catcher's net."

Gina smiled.

Moments later, they were walking arm in arm in the overgrown alleyways behind the homes and businesses of the village. Gina's groceries hung in Julian's net, the pole he rested and balanced over his shoulder.

"I was wondering if I might have the pleasure of your company tonight, for a private meal and conversation." He added, rolling his eyes, "Without the Bombursts."

"Ah, a real date, huh?" Gina smiled coquettishly.

"Quiet, refined, low lighting. Perhaps a little dance lesson before the Baron's swiftly-approaching birthday party."

"That sounds exquisite, Master Fletcher." _Night, huh? What am I going to do about the kids?_

"Excellent. Er, by what arrangements would you prefer to rendezvous?" Julian's gaze shifted from side to side.

"How about on the edge of town?" _That way, I can drop in on the kids for a bit and be close enough to the castle to not have to walk all the way back home for the date._

"Oh, I wouldn't have a lady walk all that way," Julian scoffed. "If you're worried about the gossip among the villagers, I could at least send a coach for you."

 _That does sound nice. Do you think you could make it down to the kids and back in the early evening without being seen? This sounds too hard. Don't you think you ought to screw it for a night? The kids can get over it for one night. Being seen aside, what if you get held up or distracted with the kids and the coach is here waiting for you?_ "Alright," she told Julian. "Let's do it. But tell the driver to say it's an invitation by the Bombursts, not you."

Julian nodded. While she had been thinking, he had bent down and picked a creative bouquet of the little purple, yellow, and white flowers growing on the weeds, which he tied off with a long piece of grass. He waved it in below his nose, as if smelling a glass of wine, then artfully handed the bouquet to her. "I can do you one better. You mentioned not having any formal attire, fit for even a royal tea? Give me your measurements and I can pull a few strings. Or rather, have the palace tailor pull the strings."

"That quickly?"

"It's still morning."

"Well, alright, then. What time should I expect the coach?"

"Shall we say, 6:30?"

"I'll be ready."

 

Gina arrived back at the toy shop with her baskets of groceries and set them on a wooden counter in the kitchen. Then, she set about looking for a vase or whatever other cylindrical, liquid-holding vessel was on hand that would hold the weed flowers. Granted, they were just weeds, but they were the most magnificent weeds, in her estimation. No weeds were ever finer.

Johannes entered with a whittling project in his hands. "Heir Banana Beezer was here looking for you."

"I know. He found me."

"That man just does not get a clue, does he?"

 _I might have had something to do with that_ , she mused in ironic sarcasm. Gina smiled, knitting her brow in soft concern. "Aww. 'Banana Beezer'?"

"Don't you think it has the general shape and girth of a small banana?"

Gina raised an eyebrow at him. "You're using logic to justify your exaggerated insult?"

Johannes sighed, holding up his hands a little. "You got me."

"He can't help the fact, and it's not very nice for you to harp on it. We all have our imperfections."

"Seems he was dealt an unfair share of them."

"You know, my friend Jesus gets excited over deeply flawed people. He must love the smack out of Vulgarians."

Johannes dropped his head into an "over the glasses" look at her.

Gina shrugged playfully. "Is that not why I'm here doing the job of an entire village?"

Johannes sighed through his nose and conceded with a bob of his head. " _Touché_ , Gina. _Touché_. I admit they're putting a lot on you that they themselves should carry. But I don't know how to make them do it. We are a people in need of deliverance."

"Have prophets, will travel," Gina held up her finger, volunteering. "Trouble is, nobody wants to listen."

Later that afternoon, there was a heavy knock on the door. "A message and parcel from their Excellencies the Baron and Baroness Bomburst."

"What's now?" Johannes went to the door and opened it.

"Good afternoon, sir. Their Excellencies request the pleasure of Miss Bergenkraft's company tonight at the castle."

Johannes' eyes popped open. "What?" He glanced at Gina questioningly and back at the guard. "For what occasion? The Baron's birthday is the day after tomorrow."

"It's a private affair, the nature of which was not disclosed to me."

Johannes glanced between the guard and Gina again. "Er, eh…well, thank you, sir…"

"Miss Bergenkraft is requested to wear this," the guard handed over the parcel and box. "A coach will arrive here promptly at 6:30 to retrieve the lady."

"She'll be ready." After the guard took his leave and they had some privacy once again, Johannes asked Gina, "This wouldn't have anything to do with Julian, would it?"

Gina made sure to shrug with her best confusion. "Who knows?"

Johannes stared at her skeptically, as if he would be able to reach the truth inside of her if he looked long enough.

Gina coolly deflected his suspicion. "Apparently, I impressed the Bombursts so much that they want to invite me to things. Get to know me, perhaps. After all, God raises us up before kings when we honor Him."

"Invite you to things to which Julian may also be invited, no less. I wonder what they're up to, inviting the toymaker's granddaughter to a soiree after meeting you briefly. I hope they're not trying to set you up with Julian, under the guise of some other occasion. They would be arrogant enough to do that. Listen, Gina, if it starts looking like they're trying to position the two of you together, do everything you can to safely resist."

"I won't let anything happen," Gina groaned a sigh. "Casual conversation is where it ends with me and Julian."

"Ugh, if only I were going so that I could look out for you. But I can't invite myself."

"So that you can get arrested for doing something stupid in my defense? Just so you know, I can't whittle very well, so the Baron's going to be at a loss for toys, unless he moves your tools and materials to your prison cell. On the other hand, if I move in with Julian, I can paint what you finish." Gina gave her grandpa a wide, cheeky, closed-mouth grin.

"Very funny, young lady." Johannes sighed. "Well, congratulations, Gina. Just be careful tonight. Promise me you won't get drunk and start talking about the children."

Gina sucked in a long, gravelly gasp. "I'm so glad you said that, Grandpa. Not that I plan on getting drunk, but I appreciate you bringing that to the front of my mind, lest I let my guard down. I think I'm just going to stay off the subject of kids in general, period."

"That is best."

Gina unwrapped the parcel to find a magnificent lavender gown. The bodice was silk, while the skirt was fine cotton with a sheer covering, divided by a row of rhinestones - or perhaps a more precious, clear stone. She gasped at the finery.

So did Johannes. "Good heavens! What a gift! That dress must be worth hundreds of Vulgarmarks. Just in the bejeweled band itself."

In the box were the matching high-heeled slippers, which also had clear, glittering stone around the foot openings. There was a smaller box within the shoebox. In it amazed them even more than the dress. Leaf-shaped amethyst and, again, a clear stone, possibly diamonds, feathered around the silver chain in descending size from the largest piece in the center. The earrings were comprised of a round cut of the clear stone with an amethyst leaf dangling below it.

"How did he get away with that?" Gina muttered to herself. Then, glanced at her grandpa. "The Baron."

Fortunately, Johannes didn't linger on her slip of the tongue. "Those jewels alone are more costly than my workshop and everything in it. Surely, these are on loan, not outright gifts. Otherwise, I greatly question their motivation in clothing you like a palace resident."

"Why question? I'll take it."

Gina was dressed when the coach arrived. Johannes led her to the coach by the hand and kissed her goodbye like the father of a bride.

 

Like a groom waiting at the altar, Julian, also dressed very finely, stood on the steps of the palace. For a few seconds, Gina spotted him watching his glossy, black shoes as he casually practiced a little soft-shoe. Like a student being caught doing something other than studying in class, he suddenly noticed the carriage and straightened his posture and his coat like a butler. He descended the stairs in his twinkled-toed fashion as the carriage came to a stop before them. He opened the carriage door and, as Gina came forth, Julian became weak in the knees, evidenced by a quick, slight, drunken stumble.

"You alright?" Gina smiled.

"Just a little wear and tear on the stairs, my lady fair." He extended his hand.

Gina took his hand and alighted on the stairs, which looked perfectly fine to her.

"You look exquisite," he said.

"Thank you. You're quite the dapper gentleman yourself. At any rate, you really knocked yourself out for my outfit. Grandpa and I were joking...sort of...that it costs more than his workshop."

"None of it was hard to come by," he said. "Had to crack the whip a bit on the tailor and the cobbler, but the jewels were a courtesy of my friend, the Treasurer, with whom I work closely on the taxes."

"You're also the tax collector?" Gina's eyes widened. "No wonder these people hate your guts."

Julian shrugged. "Not your problem." With a dreamy smile, he gave her cheek a series of rapid strokes as if there were crumbs there.

"I must be crazy..." she muttered, gazing off somewhere.

"Perhaps," he agreed.

With Gina on his arm, Julian lead Gina to the nearest elevator that would take them upstairs to the private halls.  But Julian suddenly paused and said with theatrical pensiveness, "Oh.  I hope you won't mind 'stepping into a cage with the Child Catcher' again."

Gina looked up at him with a humble smile and bedroom eyes.  "I can't imagine starting off the evening anywhere else."

Julian looked on the brink of being very exuberant, but controlled himself.  "Very well, then." 

Although this elevator was much larger than the one just off the carriage house, Gina stood next to Julian as if it wasn't.

As the elevator rose, Gina said, "I take back what I said yesterday, which you just referenced.  I'm sorry.  I was...voicing my nervousness."

"No one would blame you," Julian replied casually.

"No one else matters."

Julian looked into her confident gaze with subtly stunned adoration and combed a hand through her hair.  "You really are extraordinary, Gina."

Gina slipped her arm around his waist and laid her head on his chest.  "Thank you, Julian."

Julian wrapped his arm around her shoulders and cradled her head with his other hand, as if she would disappear otherwise.  Somewhat distantly, he said, "No.  Thank _you_."

 

"It's very quiet around here," Gina observed.

"Well, the servants are unseen. And the Baron is out on one of his favorite birthday activities, wherein he'll sail out into the channel or beyond to play 'Battleship' on unsuspecting vessels."

Gina knit her brow quizzically. "He just attacks Vulgaria's neighbors for sport?"

"Mm-hm," Julian nodded.

"Can't imagine that bodes well for any trade agreements. No wonder Vulgaria seems so minimalist."

Julian sighed. "True, we've had most of our former allies revoke their trade agreements, but the Baron spends very little time attending to affairs of state anyway and I doubt he's noticed."

"Who's running this country?"

Julian pointed to himself. "And a few other ministers of the court. I usually manage domestic affairs. One of which I already mentioned."

 

Julian led her into a small lounge room with gossamer curtains and a lake view where a little, round table for two had been set. As he had said, the room was dimly lit with candlelight. On the table were already two large-bowled wine glasses full of warm Gluehwein, finished with floating thin slices of orange and apple.

Julian pulled out Gina's chair for her and then took his seat. "Much experience with ballroom dancing?"

"A little."

"Well, you're going to need it for the Baron's birthday."

"Oh? Am I invited to that?"

"Will you accept my invitation?"

"Alright. I'm honored."

"So am I, then." He raised his glass, leading her in a toast.

 _Oh, dear,_ Gina thought as the warm, sweet drink flowed through her, the temperature and the alcohol beginning to relax her already. _This Gluehwein's going to make me a better dancer tonight._ Her grandfather's voice echoed in her mind: _Promise me you won't get drunk and start talking about the children._ She groaned inwardly, _Ugh_ , w _hy did it have to be Gluehwein? It's so darn easy to knock back. Again. And again. And again._

Perhaps with the aid of the Gluehwein, Gina and Julian enjoyed light conversation over dinner and dessert. It was Gina's first time eating rabbit. It was dark meat, like she enjoyed, but had a sort of tangier taste than most meats she was used to. The cream sauce it had been marinating in made it all the better. Fortunately, rabbit came in small parts and Gina was definitely glad she had room for the rich liquor-infused chocolate cake that followed.

A few minutes after Gina had once again cleaned her plate and her glass of Gluehwein, Julian asked, "Are you ready for a dance lesson?"

Gina was feeling a little groggy, but agreed anyway. "Oh, certainly. Allow me to use the ladies room, first."

Julian picked up the wooden handle of a small bell on the table and rang it. When the servant entered, he said, "Escort Miss Bergenkraft to the lavatory, if you would."

The servant bowed, Julian got up to pull out Gina's chair for her, and then Gina followed the servant.

 

When Gina returned, Julian said, "You're quite the actress, Gina."

Gina's blood ran cold, causing her to pause on the way to her chair. "What do you mean?"

Julian put on a high, feminine voice. "'Children, Your Highness-ugh-ugh! Oh, please, no, I'm eating.'" Julian then took a folded piece of parchment out of his vest pocket, snapped it open and began to read in a sweet, chipper voice, "'Dear Gina, thank you for teaching us and bringing us candy. I love you. Henrietta.'" Then, Julian cocked his head at her patronizingly. "Aww."

Gina spent his entire reading cursing in her head. She had forgotten that note was in her bag, though didn't expect for anyone to go through it but herself, least of which the Child Catcher. _Poker face, poker face, poker face,_ Gina's mind raced, hoping enough repetition would make it so. _But what the heck was he doing in my purse?!  I guess it doesn't matter now.  Handle the matter at hand._

As Julian continued to look the letter over, maintaining his insufferable smirk, he added, "Little whippersnapper can't even spell her own name right."  Then, he cut his eyes over at Gina as if he was baiting her.

Gina almost bit his head off for the condescending remark.  In a very controlled, low voice, the only thing she could manage to say was, "Are you trying to be un-sexy right now?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," he continued to patronize, "would my callous comments about children make you uncomfortable?  Why, you sat there right in front of me and the Baron and Baroness acting like you would choke at the mention of children. And we believed you. Bravo. Now, however, this incriminating intel would seem to lay bare your bluff."

 _Get it together, Gina.  He's looking for where your heart is.  Well...let's see where his is._ In the same controlled manner, she replied, "Do you ever leave work at work?  Do you really think I'm going to feel like showing you any intimacy after you've shoved my back against the wall with the arm of the law?  I guess if your career is more important to you than my tender companionship, I'll take it back to where I came from and find a man who'll be more appreciative of it."

Julian's smile faded into solemnity. Keeping his gaze on her, he slowly folded the note and handed it to her between his index and middle fingers, like a man handing over his sword.

Gina took the note, pleasantly surprised and wanting to smile, but maintaining her stoic demeanor. "Thank you."

Julian nodded, with a flourish of his hand, like a magician, as if he had made the note vanish into thin air.  Just as stoically as she, he replied, "You're welcome. For future reference, I would advise you not to carry items like that on your person while you are on castle grounds. Just to avoid any unforeseen misfortune that may be less negotiable."

"I will respect your wishes, Heir Fletcher." Then, she fibbed, for substance, "You have no grounds for your investigation anyway. There are no children in Vulgaria, of course. I believe you've seen to that. That note is from back home. I'm a tutor. Yes, for children. And this note is from one of my students."

"For what reason do you keep it with you?"

"It…" Gina rummaged around in her mind, but she was fresh out of bluff, at least for this element, "makes me happy. So, hang me, alright? Am I going to jail for saying that?"

Julian was silent for a few seconds, then said casually, "No. I can live with that. Just continue to bluff to the court of Bomburst, and be smart about it. If you would, please."

The earnest in his voice made Gina feel like she could smile in a relaxed fashion.  "Oh, yes, sir."

 

Julian escorted Gina by the arm into a nearby large, open room and set up a gramophone to play. Right arm folded behind his back, he unfurled his left hand to her, the hand that would lead. When she took it, he then put his right hand on her lower back, just inside her hip. Her arm rested easily on his support arm. As he talked her through the footwork, the easy sway of his hips and the seemingly effortless way he guided her made her smile. He maintained such control that she could have closed her eyes and stayed in time. His gaze drove her crazy, however. Because she couldn't read it. He maintained a very slight smile and a hazy look in his eyes that seemed smug at first. But maybe there was adoration mixed in, too.

Julian slid his leg back behind him slowly in tango fashion, turning Gina in his arms for a shallow dip. Suddenly, Julian surprised her by hoisting her onto his hip with his supporting arm, walk-spinning twice, and letting her down, still in hold.

As she giggled lightly, he said, "You're so small and light, I can just throw you around like that."

This did not abate her giggles. "Go on. Show off."

In the darkness of night, Gina had no idea how much time had passed. She hated to ask the question because she did not want to hear the answer or have any regard for time, for that matter. "What time is it?"

"What, are you Cinderella?" Julian teased. "Going to turn back into a toymaker's granddaughter at midnight?"

"Why? What have I been otherwise?"

"A princess. Haven't you noticed?" he said in one of his soft, but higher-pitched tones.

The look in his eyes was almost a drunken one. She felt that if she looked too long, it would hypnotize her. "Suppose I am. I've had a lovely evening with you, Julian."

"Quite mutual, Gina."

There was a time, not too long ago, Gina mused, when she would wince inwardly to gaze upon Julian from any angle. But, now, she realized she felt none of that shock or repulsion. "Julian…" she said with a proud smile, "I was just thinking about how handsome you are."

Julian looked genuinely surprised. "'Handsome'? Really? Hah. Surely, you exaggerate."

"I do not. In fact, if someone offered you a magic potion that would change your nose, I would stop you." She poignantly laid her hand on his wrist as if he was holding that potion. "Any other face just wouldn't be you. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

Blushing vividly and making cute, humble facial expressions, he reached over with his other hand and enveloped hers. "Well, I…I honestly don't know how I got so lucky to have a lovely girl say that to me. I was really unaware that even needed to hear it…until very recently."

"You know what?" she grinned sleepily, stepping up right underneath him and looking directly up. "We can rub noses without you having to bend down."

Julian lowered his head at the neck, as far as it would comfortably go. Sure enough, the tips of their noses touched. Gina nodded slightly to give his a little stroke. Julian chuckled softly, his eyes glassy. Gina raised herself a little on the balls of her feet to give the end of Julian's nose a tiny kiss. Julian wrapped his arms around her, which she reciprocated, and they stood there nuzzling at the tips of their noses; though, Julian could reach more of hers. Her eyes closed, soaking in the light massage, she then felt the contact of the tear that had traveled down the length of his nose to hers.

"Perhaps," he said softly enough to keep his voice steady, "on some night, you won't have to leave."

Gina's diaphragm and her palms began to burn. "You just like making this difficult, don't you?"

"So, it's all about you, is it?" he smirked.

She chuckled. _Dang it, if it weren't for those kids, I might be able to… Why can't it be tonight? I mean, the grotto's just below… I couldn't run my operation from the castle?_

_Are you nuts? Not with Julian having easy 24-7 access to you and your stuff._

_Oh, Julian…wherefore art thou Child Catcher? Can you just not be?_

"I do have my grandfather to look after," she said. "And villagers to fool."

Julian threw back his head laughing. "Ah, yes! They have no idea, do they? That is rich. But why keep up appearances to them? They're not your people. And, honestly, I don't see why we couldn't relocate your grandfather to the castle. After all, we have scientists in residence. He works for only the Baron now, it would only ease his burden to work on site."

Cautiously, Gina asked, "You could make that happen?"

"Well, I can suggest it. Though, I don't imagine my argument will be met with much opposition. And then, that room for you the Baron mentioned yesterday…maybe that's not too farfetched of an idea."

"Well…then, I'll talk to Grandpa about it." _Nicely done, Bergenkraft,_ she criticized herself. _How are you going to stall for time? He looks intent on moving you and Grandpa into this castle within the week. Grandpa's going to be furious with you… Hey, you can be hated by the villagers, too…just like your shmoopsiepoo. You'll just be a little chu-chi-woo-chi duo of darkness._

 _Look, I haven't given up on the kids. I just…I just need a different strategy, that's all._ With the excuse of being tired, Gina buried her face in Julian's silk ascot. _Jesus? Please get involved._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a tribute to Robert Helpmann, there just had to be a dance number in the story. Granted, Robert taught and performed ballet, but that would not have made sense for the Catcher. Nonetheless, we do see Julian teaching a dance, which is an intentional homage. (I think it's safe to assume that Robert, as a leader in the dance industry, was at least knowledgeable of a variety of dances and could have taught someone on the fly to waltz.)
> 
> Speaking of which, it is entirely ironic that in Robert's role as Ivan Kropotkin in the Bob Hope movie "The Iron Petticoat," he is a Russian engineer who woefully claims to have no dancing ability whatsoever.


	6. Hushabye Getaway

Johannes and Gina were sitting on the front porch painting wooden toys in the cool of the afternoon when a woman from the village walked up, followed by several other villagers.

"Well," she said, trying to be pleasant. "This is a rather bold activity you two are engaged in."

Both of them looked up, under the gaze of the group.

Johannes shrugged. "The weather is nice. The Bombursts know I make toys only for the Baron. Why shouldn't I be able to do it on my porch? I think things are about to go well for us and that we should all be less up tight. I might have some beer in the cabinet."

But the woman didn't answer the question. Instead, she turned to Gina. "Gina, what was that carriage from the castle doing at your house last evening?"

Gina replied as casually as her grandpa. "The Bombursts invited me to enjoy their company for an evening."

"Why? What were they after?"

Gina made a silly face and shrugged. "You want me to say, 'No'? Wouldn't that be worse? They seem easily offended."

"The Child Catcher and the Bombursts have taken a liking to you and we're not sure why. But it's unsettling to us."

"Um, you all should be rejoicing that I have so much favor at the castle. If the Bombursts want to make someone on your side a part of their inner circle, I'd say there's enough of God's grace at work here to make a church jealous."

"Gina, perhaps you don't fully understand the gravity of the situation, since you don't have children of your own…"

"No need to be condescending," Gina said, blandly. She looked to the others behind the woman. "How much did you guys pay her to be your spokesperson?"

"Gina," a man spoke up, "it makes you look unfit to protect the children."

"Are you fricking kidding me right now?" Gina exploded, almost slamming the toy in her hand on the porch were it not for her catching herself.

"Gina," Johannes quietly warned. But he himself got to his feet sternly. "Now, see here. Gina gives me all kinds of reports about how happy the children are. She's made their lives worth living. She deserves your honor and respect. Listen to her! She's right—her favor with the Bombursts can only do use good, not harm."

"Johannes," said the man, "she's your granddaughter and we know you're in support of her, but she is from outside Vulgaria. Are you certain she has our interests in mind?"

"Of course, she has our interests in mind!" Johannes stamped his foot. "How dare you impugn her character when she's working so hard for our interests? Our children! She would _never_ throw in her lot with the Bombursts and turn on us!"

Now standing, arms crossed, Gina added, "And just who the hell else do you think is going to do that job when none of the rest of you has been willing to do it? And, frankly, I welcome any of you to stand up for your own children. It's about darn time! Maybe you brought it on yourselves with your cowardice, which you've passed on to the next generation."

Johannes took on a look of wide-eyed fear as the villagers gaped in outrage.

Just then, the verbal squall was interrupted by a far off boom that echoed in the air.

"Cannon fire?" someone gasped.

"Odd," Johannes said, looking around in the air. "I wonder what on earth is going on. The Baron must be flying off the handle about something, the old fool…" Then, Johannes was captivated by an unusual sight in the air that drew the gazes of the others.

"What is that?" Gina asked with fascination. _First, kissing the Child Catcher, now UFOs. My life just can't get any more interesting, can it?_ "Is that a motor car with wings?"

"That's what it looks like," Johannes replied. "And fully occupied, at that."

"Can you make me one, Grandpa? That thing looks super efficient for long trips."

"I suppose we're going to find out how it works very soon. It's headed this way."

The new enigmatic situation caused the villagers at Johannes' porch to dissipate. A few minutes later, a man, woman—and two children—entered the plaza, looking very lost.

"What the devil?" Johannes gasped.

Suddenly, there was a more alarming sound than the cannon fire. The herald of a palace trumpet. The marketplace in the plaza burst into a frenzy as merchants and shoppers ran for cover indoors.

" _Auch du lieber Himmel_!" Johannes groaned and started gesturing frantically to the loners. "Hey, there! Come inside, quickly! Get those children out of sight!"

"Could you please me what's happen—?" the man tried to say.

But Johannes rushed out in the street and pushed them along, babbling about soldiers.

"Soldiers?" the man gasped. "Coming for us?"

Once inside the toyshop, Johannes locked the doors, threw the rug off of the door in the floor to the basement, and began opening it. "The soldiers are coming to take your children. They are forbidden by the Baroness."

"Children forbidden? Why?" the woman gasped.

"Only God knows why."

"Wait, wait a minute," Gina interjected, drawing all gazes.

"Oh, hello," said the man. "Shouldn't you be hiding, too?"

Gina grinned with flattery. "Aw, thank you. But I'm thirty."

"Oh…uh…heh, you could've fooled me. Could've fooled anyone."

"Well, thank you, but speaking of fooling anyone, I want to point out that this toyshop may not be the best place to guarantee your children's safety, much less the rest of us."

"What?" Johannes scolded her in a gasp. "Well, why don't you stand outside and flirt with Signore Cacciatore? I'll allow you to go on a date this one time."

Gina laughed derisively. "Oh, now it's useful for me to talk to him?"

"Well?"

Gina sighed through her nose in thought. "Look. I may have sway with the lawman—and two dates with him already, sorry grandpa—but not that much sway. The trumpets indicate that there are soldiers in play. And this guy's not the Child Catcher because he's lousy at it. You stay here, there's a good chance you could be caught. We're sitting ducks. You let me run these two to the grotto, in the direction of the castle, which is opposite the path of the entourage, and there's a better chance we'll make it there problem free."

"No, Gina, it's too risky," Johannes sighed. "What if you're caught? And don't think this hullabaloo will get you out of a discussion about your deception, young lady."

"I think we've got bigger fish to fry, Grandpa. We have to leave _now_. That trumpet was not that long ago."

Johannes made short order of his testimony to the Pottses. "My granddaughter has been tutoring the hidden children of Vulgaria for weeks and hasn't been caught. Do you trust her?"

"What choice do we have?" Caracticus shrugged. "Jeremy? Jemima? You do everything this young lady asks of you, alright? No questions."

"Yes, Daddy," they both replied.

"Hi," Gina said, bending down to them. "I'm Gina. I think you're going to like my friends at the grotto." Hand in hand with them, Gina stood before the front doors. Gina closed her eyes briefly, shaking her head. _This is going to be one wild evening._ With Jeremy and Jemima's soft hands clasped in hers, she looked at each of them saying, "Now. How fast can you both run?"

Gina and the Potts kids sprinted across the plaza and ducked down the nearest narrow street per Gina's lead. In the distance, they could hear the thunder of hooves and the call of the royal trumpet. Heart racing and mind praying, Gina wove in and out of as many alleys as she could, trying to avoid major thoroughfares.

All of a sudden, Julian cut off their path from an intersecting alley right in front of them, net in hand, poised for the catch with a menacing grimace and a triumphant, "Aha!" that became a startled gasp just after those of the fugitives. Jemima and Jeremy screamed and clung to Gina's body.

Julian himself staggered in surprise, destroying his presence of dominance, his face contorting as if he were in pain. He shook his head, breathing heavily. "Gina…? No…no…no, no, no, NO!"

Attempting to counteract her stress, Gina said casually, "It's just one of those Mondays, isn't it, love?"  Gina knit her brow, glancing down the alley from whence he'd come.  "How did you even...?  You are _GOOD_!  I was tellin' 'em you were good, but dang..."

"What are you doing, you foolish girl?" Julian hissed. "Where are you taking them?"

"Sorry, love. I know how much of a resume-builder that would be for you, but I don't mix business and pleasure." She noticed his gloved fist shaking on the shaft of his net.

Julian huffed in a flustered manner and looked around with high alertness. Then, he locked his gaze on Gina's and said, "Just go."

Gina raised her brow. "Go? Aren't you breaking the law?"

Julian thrashed his net in the air. "Then, don't terry! The guards will be here soon! Go!"

Without further question, Gina rushed her two wards down the alley to the left, opposite of whence Julian had come, and disappeared down yet another turn. Watching to ensure they were out of sight, Julian then spryly headed back to the street to mislead his backup.

When Julian finally found the palace guards, they were swarmed around the mysterious, very fine-looking, flying motor car they had been sent for.

"Mr. Fletcher?" a soldier addressed him, breaking Julian's concentration on the car. "You're here."

"Obviously I'm here, you fool. What is it?"

"Sir, our spies think the toymaker may have taken in those children that were spotted in the car."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Johannes refers to the Child Catcher as "Signore Cacciatore," which is only funny if you know that "cacciatore" is pronounced "catch-a-tory," hence the joke on Catcher. While "cacciatore" popularly refers to an Italian meat dish, it does translate as "hunter," which is still very applicable in this case. As "signore" means "Mr." in Italian, Johannes is essentially calling him "Mr. Catcher" in a fancy way.
> 
> But, let's face it, "Signore Cacciatore" is the least tragic nickname Johannes has given Julian throughout the story. Here are the other mocking names he has used and the significance behind them:  
> "Pinocchio": While he doesn't come right out and say it, Johannes makes the reference by telling Gina that Julian's nose is so long because he lies so much and it's become stuck that way.  
> "Cyrano de Bergerac": The titular literary hero of his own tragic love story who is known for his enormous nose. Bashful about his "unattractiveness," Cyrano writes eloquent love letters to his crush under the name of a more handsome fellow who is pursuing her and desiring to be more eloquent. Julian is certainly not deterred by his looks to pursue Gina in person, but, at the same time that Johannes is going for the nose joke, he's also poking some mean-spirited fun at Julian's "hopeless" prospects of wooing a girl.  
> "Banana Beezer": Again referring to his nose, with a variation on Simba's "banana beak" slur to Zazu in Disney's "The Lion King."
> 
> Come on, Johannes. Give the poor guy a break.


	7. Up From the Ashes

With everyone aptly occupied, Gina, Jeremy, and Jemima made it safely to the entrance of the grotto. The cool cave air was a welcome sensation on Gina's sweaty face, neck, and limbs. "Home sweet home," she sighed.

"What is this place?" Jeremy asked.

"It's where the children of Vulgaria have been hiding from the Baroness. But, I've been coming here to teach them and play with them. We just had a shadow puppet show the other night."

"Who was that bad, funny-looking man who tried to stop us?" Jemima asked.

"Bad?" Gina scoffed. "How can he be bad? He let us go. It's his job to capture children here in town, yet you saw him order us to be on our way."

"Oh. Do you know him?"

"Yes. He is my friend. It's just that the Baroness makes him do bad things."

"We're lucky you're his friend, then. He looked like he could be mean."

Gina waxed sentimental. "He can also be very sweet. He just needs the right motivation."

Jeremy and Jemima gasped to see all the children in the grotto. And a few of them gasped to see new children.

"I'm hooome!" Gina called. "You guys want to come meet your new brother and sister?"

With a commotion, the children swarmed towards the trio upon their arrival to the big, central rock, where greetings commenced.

"I'm Jeremy."

"I'm Jemima. Pleased to meet all of you." She curtsied in her country dress.

"Where did you come from?" a kid asked. "I thought all the children in Vulgaria where in this cave."

"We're not from Vu…Vo…Voogaria," Jemima said. "We're from England."

"Where's England?"

"I don't know exactly," she replied. "We flew over the ocean in our magic car."

"You have a magic car?"

"What is a car?"

As the conversation rambled on, Gina took the opportunity to get supine right on the rock surface and get her bearings. Covering her eyes with her hand seemed to help.

"Our daddy made us a flying motor car," Jemima said. "And that mean old Bomburst is trying to steal her from us. He took our Grandpa, too."

"We were going to rescue him, but they started shooting at us with cannons at the castle," Jeremy added.

"We were wondering what that booming sound was," a boy commented.

"Well, they missed us by a mile. We landed in the village," Jeremy continued, "and the toymaker took us into his toy shop to hide from the guards. But Gina said we should come here. So, we ran and we zigzagged through the village," Jeremy demonstrated with a hand. "But, then, we were stopped by this ugly man in all black. And he had a net in his hand, like he was going to catch us with it-"

"That was the Child Catcher alright," one of the children clarified.

"Did you punch him in his big, ugly nose?" another kid asked, laughing at his own humor.

"Oy-oy-oy!" Gina's voice, deeper than usual, echoed in the chamber, bringing all other voices to silence and eyes on her. She lifted her hand off her eyes to fix her gaze on the gathering immediately to her left. "What have I told you about being nice to Julian? Who ain't been listening during prayer time? And we didn't have to punch him anywhere because...Jeremy? Jemima? What happened?"

"He told us to go," Jeremy said.

"He did?" another child asked in disbelief.

"He didn't chase after us," Jemima said. "He just said, 'Go.'"

"Wow," said a girl, "maybe he really does have a good heart, like Gina says."

"He's Gina's friend," Jemima said. "He wouldn't capture her."

Gina smiled. _He already has._

 

Upstairs, Julian burst into his bedchamber. With a bestial grunt, he threw his hat across the room and then threw himself prostrate onto the bed, one arm curling around his head, the other hand clawing the comforter. His shoulders shuddered with the gasps of his sobs, which now and then moaned to the tune of his hopeless agony.  Julian was certain he'd never been so moved by anything before in his adult life.  These royal sheets had never received his tears.  Gripped as much by fear as by despair, he thought, _What am I going to do?_

Later, a calmer but no less distraught Julian strolled into the carriage house where his carriage was and where the fantastic motor car was being housed. Hands folded behind his back, Julian looked the car over pensively, half admiring the machine, half thinking of other things. He ran a hand along the shiny wood of the boat-like back section and the crimson leather of the front seat. He paused at his reflection in the shiny body that covered the engine, then sauntered around to the front of the car, where he addressed it in conversation. "If it weren't for you, I would have been forced to arrest Gina this afternoon. My soldier escort was effectively distracted by _your_ arrest. Heh, I know I'm talking to a machine, but…at least to ease my tormented heart, I…I feel like I owe you my gratitude."

One of Chitty's headlights suddenly blinked, startling Julian.

Julian eyed the vehicle cautiously, unsure of what he saw or if he had even seen it. He rubbed his eyes. "No… I must be delirious with the stress of the day… That car did not just 'wink' at me."

Chitty beeped twice, rapidly.

Julian stared at it, eyes wild. "You…you did hear me? How is that possible? You're not alive. Are you?" When the car did not answer, Julian asked, in faith, "You know about me and Gina?"

Chitty released some fluid onto the concrete floor and backed away to reveal the shape of a heart.

"You're a bewitched car, you are," Julian said wearily. "And, yet, strangely, with a heart of compassion. I don't suppose you know what I should do now? My beloved was helping those children escape, children I would have had no second thoughts about arresting, were it not for her..."

Chitty revved her engine softly.

Julian gave Chitty a wide-eyed look and scolded, "Are you growling at me?"

Chitty gave a short burst of revving in reply.

"Ah, yes, they're your puppies, aren't they?" Julian scoffed defiantly. "Your diversion was as much for them as it was for me and Gina, wasn't it? Another child sympathizer. I just seem to be a magnet for them recently. So, where does that leave us? Oh, then, I suppose you'll want me to change _my_ ways—"

Chitty suddenly turned on both her headlights, revved her engine, and lurched forward at Julian.

Julian skipped backward, cowering and whimpering. "I'm getting my comeuppance from a car. A car that knows me. This was a bad idea."

Chitty growled and lurched again, getting the same response from Julian, only louder. "Alright-alright-alright! Don't run me over! Please. I'll see what I can do. You must understand the very difficult position I'm in. I must speak with Gina…"

Chitty opened her passenger side door.

"Are you daft?! You can't leave! How quickly do you want me to be beheaded? If you want me to help, my head would be more useful on my shoulders than in a lettuce basket."

Chitty simply sat there with her engine purring her namesake, door remaining open.

Julian sighed, planting his hands on his hips. "You do know we have a night guard, don't you?" When Chitty still did not react, Julian looked around the room in thought. He paused on the sight of his carriage, pondering more on its past, deceptive costumes, which harkened to his carnival persona. "I think I might have something…"

Up on the outer wall, soldiers strolled on night patrol. Suddenly, a lit Roman candle landed in their midst, spinning wildly as small fireworks sprayed from each end, making a hellacious noise. Soldiers began raising a fuss and jumping on their toes to avoid the sparks. Then, another landed, and another.

Julian, in his typical black attire, slipped below them easily in the dark to the gate. As he opened the gate, just wide enough for Chitty to motor through, Julian watched the soldiers frolicking and shouting in their confusion. He rolled his eyes, and his head along with them.

As if on cue, Chitty rolled out of the carriage house, undetected by the distracted guards, and through the gate. She stopped to wait for Julian on the other side. Julian slipped through as the heavy gate slowly glided into the closed position.

"For what this could cost me," Julian spat curtly, hopping into Chitty's back seat, "you'd better—"

Chitty peeled off and Julian released a startled yelp as the force of acceleration slammed him against the backrest.

 

When Gina got back to the toy shop, the lights were dark. Based on the upset earlier, Gina paused. Had they been taken by the guards? What if there was an ambush waiting? _Is Grandpa okay? Is he just 'lights out' for protection? What should I do? Maybe I should check the spare key just in case…_

Gina shuffled to the thick, iron grate to the right of the front step to the porch and jiggled it loose. On the back side, tied by a black string was a spare key to the front door. But with it, there was also a tiny, folded note. Gina stood with both key and note in hand and unfolded the note, which read: Grotto.

_Grandpa took them to the grotto. Ah, makes sense, seeing that's where I took Jemima and Jeremy. Well, shoot, I probably just passed them up._

The sudden sound of a soft engine purring caused her to knit her brow in confusion and turn around. Headed towards her was a very shiny motor car with its headlights off. In the dark, she couldn't tell if there was anyone in the driver's seat. But it pulled up to her such that the back of it was nearest to her.

Julian held up two glasses of white wine. "Care for some Gewurztraminer, _meine liebling_?"

"Maybe we should change your title from Child Catcher to Lady Killer."

"Funny you should bring that up. I think we can both agree that that is the question of the hour."

"I see why you brought the wine." As Gina approached, she looked in the empty driver seat, then at Julian. Chitty opened her passenger door to Gina, who stood amazed. "Are you…controlling this thing somehow?"

"Wish I was," Julian said. "This motor car belongs to those rather disguise-challenged foreigners who arrived earlier today and, beyond my ability to explain, it very much has a mind of its own. And she has taken it upon herself to see to it that I have this talk with you." To Gina's quizzical look, Julian added, "I'll explain on the way."

"The way to where?"

"No idea. But she's on our side and has a gift for timing."

Once Gina was nestled in the backseat next to Julian, Chitty departed for the edge of town.

 

Chitty charted a casual, ambling course through the moonlit, gently rolling countryside of Vulgaria. The cool night air brushed through Julian and Gina's long, dark hair as they sipped their wine with medicinal intent and addressed the elephant in the room.

"I don't suppose you knew those children."

"Why would it matter?"

"So, apparently, you have an affinity for children regardless of their relation to you."

"You act like its mechanical engineering, Julian. Would it really be so hard for you to understand that I helped children escape from you out of the goodness of my heart? Or are you just in denial because you've got a crush on a girl who is sympathetic to children?"

"Gina, your sympathies towards children will not continue to bode well for you in Vulgaria. You are playing with fire. Do you realize the danger you put yourself in today?"

"I don't know. I think you've given me a reason to be pretty complacent. And thank you, by the way. I know that was not easy for you."

Julian sighed heavily. "You're welcome, Gina. But I won't always have the luxury of letting you slide by. I hope you respect that, for your own good. If it weren't for finding this car, my guards would have been there with me and I would have had to turn you in to the Bombursts. That would be most unpleasant for the both of us. And all because of your silly devotion to children."

"Oh-ho-ho-ho," Gina chuckled sarcastically, "so, it's _my_ fault, is it?"

"Of the two of us, you're the only one who is at liberty to forfeit their position."

Chitty growled.

Julian grunted a sigh and barked at Chitty, "It's true, you enigmatic hunk of sheet metal!"

Chitty slammed on the brakes, throwing Julian unawares into the wooden partition between the back and front seats. Julian's hat flew off into the front seat, while he bounced off the corner of the partition with a loud gasp and slid to the floor, holding his lower ribcage and wincing in pain.

Gina had fared better in the impact and sympathetically combed Julian's silky, black hair back from his face with her hand. "You alright? I think you'd better stave off insulting the car."

As he climbed wearily back into his seat, Julian nodded and grunted, "Agreed. And, yes, thank you. I think."

Chitty gently continued on.

Julian rolled his eyes at the wine glass stem in his hand that was now missing its bowl. The wine that had been in it was now a part of his shirt. He turned when he saw Gina extending her glass.

"You can have mine," she said.

"That's quite alright. Are you going to have any more?"

"Well…maybe a half a glass more. Then, I should probably stop."

Julian poured her half a glass, then fell back against the backrest, put the bottle to his lips, and tipped it up.

"So," Gina continued, "how is it that the Child Catcher isn't at fault for being the monster upholding the anti-child laws?"

"Listen, you two!" Julian spat indignantly. "I can't so easily call it quits with the Baroness!" His gaze stayed on Gina. "Unless going to the grave together sounds like a romantic notion to you."

"Well, it sounds like you're going to have to choose now, sugar pie, honey bunch," Gina said sugarcoating her sarcasm in a sweet tone. "Because what you witnessed today is but a fraction of what I've actually been doing for weeks, right underneath the expansive spread of that world-class sniffer of yours."

He stared at her with wide eyes. "There _are_ no other children in Vulgaria… Are there?"

Gina just smiled.

Julian then narrowed his gaze. "You're not here for your grandfather, are you? You never were. That note in your bag…that was recent, wasn't it? That was _here._ That's why it was in your bag. I thought it smelled a little fresh for your explanation."

"You didn't buy it? But you let it go."

"I had my doubts, but I didn't have any other leads on you. The investigation was cold. And I didn't press the matter, at any rate. You…you are a cruel siren to revoke your affection to extract behavior modification from me."

Gina laughed, dropping her head onto his shoulder.

Julian smiled in self-jest. He administered a firm, but brief kiss to the top of her head. After treasuring the moment for a few seconds, he asked, "I take it you know where the missing children in Vulgaria are, don't you?"

"That's the whole reason I came to Vulgaria, Julian. Yes, as a tutor. Their parents have hidden them to keep them away from the Bombursts—and, by extension, you. My grandpa explained that the village needed a runner of sorts and someone to continue their education. No one in the village has been brave enough to make those trips, so God put that on my heart from afar. Of course, dating the Child Catcher was a greatly unforeseen and, by popular opinion, miscalculated twist. God is funny like that sometimes. But, God has poured out His grace on my endeavors—even when being caught by you. So, I deduce that that uncanny twist is meant to bless the original mission. Crazy as it sounds, but…I serve a crazy God. But, in addition to my function in bringing them education, food, and supplies, I also bring them joy, laughter, imagination, faith… _Your_ candy." Gina sat up to relish the look on his face.

Julian's mouth dropped open. "Wh-What? My… You took them the…" He squinted. "Those were gifts to _you_."

"Don't worry, _meine liebling_ , I kept some for myself," Gina smiled. "All of the butterscotch candy, in fact.  And the tangerine ones.  And then I gave the surplus to them. What twisted irony is that? I mentioned that just to see it set you off. I knew your face would be precious." She grabbed his warm, supple cheek in her thumb and forefinger and added, in sugary baby-talk, as if her mouth were full of marshmallows, "More precious than it already is."

Julian sighed through his nose, looking the very picture of defeat and depression.

Gina returned her cheek to his shoulder, cradling his arm with an endeared, "Awww," and then buried some very muffled baby babble and a kiss into his slightly puffed shoulder pad.

Finally, Julian rested his cheek on her head, bent the arm she held in escort fashion, and crossed over with his other hand to lay it on hers. His voice came in a whisper. "I don't want to lose you. But I don't know what to do."

Gina whispered back, "Maybe the psychic car knows."

"Tried that," Julian muttered.  "Didn't get very far."

"Maybe we need to gaze into her headlights."

"Haven't tried that, but I make a point not to stand directly in front of this thing."

"Well, I guess we have to take matters into our own hands, then.  One part vodka, one part poison, Baroness' favorite fruity beverage. Problem solved."

Julian smiled.  "You're just a little, sweet pastry with a touch of arsenic, aren't you?"

"Even good guys gotta do what they gotta do. You know?"

"Hmh. Suppose I wouldn't know."

"Evil isn't born, Julian. It's cultivated. You can probably remember a time when you weren't like this and didn't have the Baroness' motivations. And that's what Jesus has been telling me this whole time. And, truth be told, I believe that's the real reason He called me to Vulgaria. Come what may, I'm not leaving Vulgaria alive without you. I seem to be 'ensnared in your net,' as it were." Gina raised her head and brushed his cheek with her little, soft nose.

Julian tilted his head in such a way as to find those smiling lips of hers with his own while keeping his long nose out of the way. He slowly slipped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her to his side as if it would be the last time.  With his opposite hand, he took hers that was still in his lap, and they gripped each other with desperate devotion.  Her free hand made it's way up his supple cheek with passionate pressure and ended it's journey burrowed deep into his long hair.  Neither of them seemed to be aware any longer of their whereabouts or the purr of Chitty's engine, or even the small bumps in the country road.

Gina slid her hand down out of Julian's hair, along his cheek, and down the length of his nose, which rested on her cheek. She lingered there, gingerly gliding up and down the broad side with a butterfly touch. Julian sighed with a soft, audible moan of contentment, like someone falling into a pillow after a hard day. Then, Gina began to ever so gently use her fingernails to scratch the area of his cheek right around his nostril and up the side of his nose.

Julian released a few hums of delight, chuckling so softly that it sounded like the panting of a small animal. "That feels so good…"


	8. Someone To Be There For

Chitty amazed them once again by being their moat transportation, via flotation.

Julian clung to Gina in the backseat. "I feel like I'm on the ferry to Hades," his mutter echoed slightly in the tunnel.

"Oh, they're not going to kill you," Gina groaned playfully. "Our pirate swords are only made of wood. Safety feature."

Julian leveled an "over the glasses" gaze at Gina. "Not comforting."

"Relax. I'm your bunker, kiddo. Need some lavender?" Gina reached into her satchel, where she retrieved a small vial of lavender essential oil he had given her.

"Wish I could spray the whole cave with it."

"Alright, look. If anyone comes at you, darling, they'll be sleepin' with the fishes in Lullaby Bay. If you're that nervous, I'll do all the talking."

"I'll do my part," he assured. "I'm no stranger to negotiation, you know."

"Speaking of doing your part, the children almost have to thank you, Julian."

"Really?" Julian asked with a mixture of skepticism and intrigue. "For what?"

"Were it not for the parents trying to hide them from you, they might not have had cause to discover this totally awesome grotto beneath the castle. It'll knock your socks off. If it doesn't, you're just no fun."

Julian stared at her for a moment. "Gina, your optimism is truly astounding. It's self-illuminating where there seem to be no other sources of light."

"Woo, thank you, Ju-Ju. I just have a resourceful imagination."

"So. All this time, night after night, you've been right underneath us helping the children survive."

Gina grinned, on the verge of laughter. "Yep."

Julian closed his eyes and shook his head incredulously.

"Were it not for the lack of natural sunlight," she continued, "I might have set up camp here."

"Well, I wouldn't have you do that when I can offer you much more comfortable accommodations. Hopefully, we will soon own the upstairs ourselves."

"Mmm! Them's fightin' words. Call out the Child Catcher…Catcher."

Julian produced his signature sleepy-looking smile that Gina had anointed as sultry. "I believe that would be you."

A beautiful melody carried by a deep, male voice echoed in the tunnel from the cave just ahead. Gina nestled into Julian's side on Chitty's leather bench seat, laying her head on his shoulder, somewhat sleepily.

Julian slipped his arm around her with a brief squeeze. With his fingers, he gingerly stroked her soft cheek. Trying to take slow breaths and listening to the swell of a lovely operatic female voice that had joined the lullaby, he watched the reflection of the water from Chitty's headlights dance on the tunnel ceiling and walls.

Almost as soon as it was over, Johannes' curt voice shattered the mood. "Is that all you have to say to them, Caracticus? After all they've been through?"

"Hey!" said Gina. "We could use a little more of that, after what _we've_ been through."

"It's Gina!" a girl suddenly called out, excitedly, inciting a murmur. "Gina's back!"

"Whoa!" said another. "Cool car!"

"It's Chitty!" Jeremy sprang to his feet with joy.

"Chitty?" Caracticus gasped. "Looks like she's caught the Child Catcher during her escape, too."

"You're joking, but that's not farfetched," Julian acknowledged. "And 'she' has taken upon herself to supervise my assistance to you…lest you will find my lifeless body in the street with tire marks across it."

Chitty beeped triumphantly and revved.

Caracticus smiled with amusement. "Well, how about that? She's our fuel-burning oracle."

"That explains a lot," Julian muttered.

"Well, much to our surprise," Caracticus continued, "according to the children here, you're a pretty swell guy, despite your history and position."

Julian's brow went up. "What?"

"It would seem," Johannes said, "that you have a genteel side that no one else knows about, Fletcher. Except for Gina. And she's been telling the children about it."

Julian turned aside to Gina, meeting her calm smile at first with a sort of bittersweet shock, which melted into humble adoration.

"That's quite a testimony," Truly said, "the children vouching for the Child Catcher they've feared for so long."

"Thank you for not capturing my kids when you had the chance," Caracticus smiled. "I understand that's…uh…that's really kind of an act of treason for you."

"You think?" Julian huffed. "Fortunately, for all of us, the Bombursts are still unaware that I did that. Ergo, I am at your disposal."

"Well, that's mighty generous for you to stick around for our sake," Caracticus said. "But what's in it for you?"

"The Baroness has come between me and my one shot at true happiness. My profession and my devotion to Gina being at cross-purposes, my servant-hood to the Bombursts has expired." Julian tipped his head forward, pinching the rim of his top hat. "I'd be obliged to help you clean out the estate, if you will have me."

"Well, we're more than happy to get any inside help.

Julian and Gina joined the rest up on the rocks. Handshakes when around between Julian and Gina and Caracticus and Truly. But when Julian turned to extend his hand to Johannes, the man hesitated. Julian gave a half roll of his eyes and dropped his hand. Johannes sighed and extended his hand, but still with the appraising look of a protective father evaluating a questionable suiter for his daughter.

Encouraged by their father and Truly's acceptance of this bizarre stranger, Jeremy and Jemima gathered at Caracticus' side.

"Are you really a circus man?" Jeremy asked. "Can you do tricks?"

Julian looked down at the boy, smiled casually, and bowed, with a twirl of his hands out to each side.

"Why do you work for that mean, ole Baroness, anyway?" Jemima inquired.

Julian chuckled at the irony, looking off to a cave wall as if the finesse he needed to tell the truth in a way that would be palatable to children would be written there. But there was none to be had, even for his silver tongue. At any rate, there was no reason to get into it. "It's a long story, little one," he looked down at her again. "But, I was the jester before I was the Child Catcher."

"So, I guess you're going to jump through hoops to help us defeat her, now," Caracticus said, grinning widely at his own pun.

Julian tolerated his humor with a wan smile and then said, "I'll hold the hoops and you can do the jumping. Though, to keep up appearances, I think it best that I fulfill the expectation of my presence at the Baron's party."

"Fair enough," said Caracticus. "We were thinking the children could help us create a little chaos at the Baron's birthday tomorrow while Truly and I look for my father, who is being kept here."

Julian's eyes widened briefly. He glanced at the throng of children and shuddered as he turned back to Caracticus. "Well. That'll cause a stir upstairs, no doubt."

"Our diversion for our set-up is me and Truly, who will be arriving as life-sized dolls, as gifts to the Baron."

"Really?" Julian smirked, though his tone was harshly skeptical. "Well, I hope your costumes fool the Baron and Baroness better than they fooled me. Of course, on the other hand, that's a pretty safe assumption."

"The Baron is as easily amused as he is infuriated," Johannes added.

"Indeed," Julian agreed.

"You didn't buy it, huh?" Caracticus asked.

"Alright, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt," Julian patronized. "I was fooled for about two and a half seconds. But I didn't press the matter because I couldn't stop thinking about how I had just outright broken Vulgaria's chief law, as the one usually responsible for enforcing it. And, quite to my disbelief, in the name of love." He glanced at Gina.

"I knew it!" one of the children shouted triumphantly. "I knew he loved Gina!"

"That'll do," Julian announced, humbly.

"I guess you really do love her, Fletcher," Johannes sighed, albeit somewhat sternly. "I hope we can come to an understanding…"

"I'd be obliged to," Julian nodded.

Then, he turned to his granddaughter. "Well, I guess there's no real sense in me being angry with you for throwing in your lot with him, or even lying to me about it. You saw something in him all along that the rest of us could not, or were otherwise unwilling to see. And it's paid off. I'm sorry I didn't believe in you. It's Julian I didn't believe in and I feared for you. I hope you can understand that. But…you've managed to pull off a miracle, Gina."

"I understood you, Grandpa," she said with a humble smile. "I'm sorry for deceiving you...though, I think you'll agree I didn't have much choice. The real credit for this miracle, however," she pointed upwards, "goes to God. I was just willing to take a step of faith and play my part."

Julian pulled her close for a squeeze and a rub on the arm.

As Julian began to talk to Caracticus, Truly, and Johannes in regards to hidden passages in the castle, he sat down to rest on a large, flat rock. Enticed by the very tired way Gina was nestled up against Julian, a little girl came up from behind them and reclined against her. Gina acknowledged by putting her arm around her. Other small children gathered around them as if waiting their turn or otherwise staking out their snuggling position. Another little girl decided not to vie for a spot on top of or around Gina, but instead laid her head down in Julian's unclaimed lap. Julian startled as if a spider was crawling up his thigh, while the other four adults cooed. Julian acknowledged with a brief, weak smile, then continued as if nothing had happened, except for trying to find somewhere else for his arm to rest, as if the child was spiky, like a hedgehog.

Then, he felt his hat leave his head. Julian whipped around to see a boy trying it on.

"Give that back, you little brat! Nyaaah!" Julian snapped, swiping for it. Julian felt Gina give his knee a gentle, but firm squeeze. He softened his tone. "Give me back my hat, my boy. Please. That's not a costume, that's silk. Very expensive."

"Not like you had to pay for it," Gina muttered, but smiling.

"It's still silk."

The boy put Julian's hat back on his head.

"Thank you," Julian muttered, but took the hat off to look inside, then, grimacing, used his other hand to wipe the inside rim before readjusting it on his head. "Now, as I was saying…"

Seconds later, Julian felt little fingers combing through his hair. He paused to purse his lips in agitation, but decided not to say anything when he thought, _Well..._ _that feels pretty good, actually._ The combing then progressed into braiding, wherein Julian slightly rolled his eyes, but still said nothing to stop it. Retiring his hand from conversational gesturing, Julian rested it on the back of the little girl who was still lying in his lap.

"I don't mean to interrupt you, there, Julian," Caracticus said, not hiding his look of amusement. "But, you seem to be covered in children."

"Perfect revenge," Gina added casually.

"I'm at a complete loss to understand why," Julian shrugged.

"Because it's your anointing," Gina said. "You're successful as the Child Catcher because you are a child magnet. We can smell it on you. Your movements and your mannerisms and your sweet talk are all very cute and funny and enticing. Where the cage is concerned is where it all goes south. You reorient your motivations and you instantly go from being bad Ju-Ju to good Ju-Ju. It's waiting for you; it's a very small step. Mentally, that is. Legally, we're making way for that."

"Well, it's not quite as small of a mental step as you make it seem. But it's not out of the question. Though, it is out of the topic and I suggest we stay on task. I've had a very long and harrowing day, as I'm sure most of us have, and am much looking forward to a night's rest."

 

For the next several hours, Julian and Gina assisted the others with getting things in place for the sabotage inside the castle.

When he caught Gina releasing a long yawn, Julian, like a concerned parent, stepped up in front of her and bent down to her face, sliding a hand over her cheek and up into her hair. He said, softly, "We'll to bed soon, my edelweiss." He laid his forehead and top of his nose along the side of her head for a few seconds, then placed a kiss near the top of her head, where his nose could easily go over it.

But noticing that Gina was not following them at the close of business, Johannes turned around to see her still attached to Julian. "Gina? Don't dawdle, now. Don't you need to get to bed?"

"I'm escorting Gina to the Baron's party in the morning," Julian said. "As such, it'll make things easier for Gina to take quarters in the castle tonight."

"What?" Johannes gasped. "Absolutely not! There's no room in this infernal castle far enough from where you sleep, Fletcher. Was it ever in the plan to consult _me_ about this?"

Julian reared back and produced his signature squint. "Just what are you implying?"

"As you are well-known as the master of temptation, with a sweet tooth for my Gina, no less, I'll not have her anywhere that you could lure her to your Netherlands."

Julian gaped. "How dare you? I've been alone with Gina plenty of times and her purity remains intact. What do you think I am, a werewolf, that I go from man to animal after sundown?"

"Some of us still don't know what you are, Julian."

Julian gasped indignantly.

"Grandpa," Gina said gently, "no need to get nasty. Nothing's going to happen. I trust Julian—I know you don't, but listen. If anything, he's a complete gentleman. It's just easier if I stay here tonight, rather than Julian having to leave the castle in the morning and pick me up."

Johannes groaned a reluctant sigh. "Well, do you have something to wear?"

"Oh, that's right," she realized. "My royal attire is at the house."

"I'll be back before the party with the Baron's 'present,'" Johannes said. "I'll bring your outfit to you."

"Thanks, Grandpa."

Johannes came over to Gina, embraced her and kissed her on the head, as if it would be the last time. Then, he fixed Julian with a cold squint and stepped up so close to him that Julian's nose could almost touch him. "You're not as protected by the Bombursts as you once were. If you defile my Gina in any way, Fletcher, I will remove your treacle tarts with my whittling chisel."

Julian's eyes bulged and his brow knit. Briefly, he sucked in his lower lip and crossed his legs slightly. Then, he smiled, wanly, "You make your point succinctly, Master Toymaker."


	9. A Truly Scrumptious Victory

The morning for the Baron singing merrily. "Happy baresday to me, happy baresday to me! Happy baresday, dear Bombie—"

"Good morning, Your Highness," said a soldier who had just entered. "And happy birthday."

Irate at having his mood dampened by the interruption of a soldier, the Baron scowled. "What is it?"

"The motor car, Sire. I hate to inform you, but it went missing last night. We sent out a search party all through the night, but were unsuccessful."

"What?!" the Baron thundered. "Find zat car! Find zat car! I vant it, I vant it, I vant it! Whoever has stolen it will pay with his head!"

The guard led the Baron and a small court entourage down to the carriage house. But when they entered, Chitty was in the exact same place she had been when she was last parked.

Growling, the Baron fixed a menacing gaze on his cowering soldier. "Do you take me for an imbecile?! The car is right here, you idiot!" The Baron whacked him on the back of the head with the flat of his hand. "It is my baresday! And you bother me with such foolishness?!" The Baron wheeled around and stomped back into the castle, grumbling, his entourage in tow.

Meanwhile, upstairs, in a luxurious king-sized bed, surrounded my mounds of pillows and blankets, Gina was aroused from her groggy half-sleep by a warm hand gently stroking her hair. She opened her eyes to see Julian sitting beside her on the edge of the bed, smiling dreamily. He had slept the night on the chase lounge by the window and was now dressed very finely for the big day.

"Good morning," he whispered, as if raising his voice would somehow cause him to wake from this dreamlike reality.

Gina started the day with humor, however. With wild eyes, but smirking, she said softly, "He watches you while you sleep…"

Julian bobbed his head humbly. "Only a little. You've got to allow a man his indulgences."

Gina took his hand, which was on her cheek, turned aside and placed a kiss in his palm.

In a coo he often used in the field, he said, "I've got some lovely breakfast for you." He lifted his hand from her face and playfully tapped the end of her nose with his index finger.

"Mmm," Gina sat up, wearing one of Julian's long, silk night tunics.

With a twirl, Julian got up and pranced over to an ornate, wooden tray on wheels and pushed it next to the bedside. The tray was the size of a small table and its display made Gina gasp with delight. Two plates of French toast with powdered sugar, two saucers of Vulgarian sausage links, two tea cups, a bowl of sugar cubes, one pot of hot tea, and one stein of warm syrup.

Julian pulled an armless chair up to the other side of the tray and began to pour the tea for both of them.

 

The throne room was decorated in banners and drapes in the Bomburst purple, white, and gold. A group of musicians with orchestral instruments provided ambient waltz melodies for mingling and casual dancing as the guests awaited the scheduled activities.

Gina was certainly making heads turn. She noticed quickly that she was the most youthful face in the crowd besides to the Baroness. To be expected, since youth was so persecuted in the kingdom. By comparison, perhaps she did look like a child, she realized with a slight twinge of eeriness. Were the staring guests simply marveling at her beauty or where they watching her like a butterfly sitting unawares on a carnivorous plant? Or was it their astonishment to see a youthful beauty on the arm of none other than their one and only anti-youth enforcer?

Gina spotted the location near the stairs to the throne where she had first met the Bombursts. Just mere days ago, she had been startled by Julian's ugliness and the very idea of kissing or being held by him. Now, she couldn't bear the thought of being separated from him...and his charmingly unique face. No matter how badly the villagers hated and feared him, she would stand right by him and take their abuse, as well. It was amazing what Jesus had done to her heart in such a short time. She felt like a completely different person, and yet more herself than ever before. She was stronger and more at peace. Chains that had restrained her before had been shed. And chains that had held Julian back now seemed to have broken, as well. Jesus had worked a miracle in both their lives - through their unlikely, yet perfectly designed union. Neither of them were perfect, except for each other. And for Vulgaria.

Gina thought, _Suck on that lollipop, villagers of Vulgaria._

"Ooh, Julian!" an obese woman in a low-cut gown intercepted their stroll through the room, accompanied by her equally obese husband. "My, you have done well for yourself, haven't you?"

Julian smiled. "Well, Lady Gluttonheim, it would seem that I'm adroit at catching other things."

Lady Gluttonheim put a hand to her cleavage and released a rich, coy laugh that was almost operatic.

"This is Miss Gina Bergenkraft," Julian said. "She is the toymaker's granddaughter."

"What an honor," Lord Gluttonheim said. "Your grandfather does marvelous work for His Majesty."

"Thank you. I'll be sure to pass that along. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord and Lady Gluttonheim." Gina curtsied.

"Oh, what a charming young lady," replied Lady Gluttonheim. "You are truly lucky, Gina. Julian is such a wit. You'll never stop laughing."

Gina replied with a sly smile of humor, "Seems that laughing at Julian is a treasured pastime around here."

Lord Gluttonheim laughed. "Well, indeed."

Julian half rolled his eyes with a wan smile of good humor. "Laughter extends one's life, after all. Glad to play my part."

"And it's all free today," Gina added, nudging him playfully in the side and smiling up at him.

"I used to charge for it, you know," he teased. "Laughing at my intended humor is a flat fee of five Vulgarmarks. Laughing at me antagonistically has an additional service charge."

Nonetheless, Gina and the Gluttonheims chuckled.

Gina said, "Well, then, it looks like we're going to be broke, and that's no joke."

The Gluttenheims laughed again.

"Seems you have a little competition, Julian," Lord Gluttonheim said.

Julian shifted his gaze down to Gina with wide-eyed, comical suspicion. "So it would seem."

"So, Miss Bergenkraft," Lord Gluttonheim continued, "will we be seeing you often at the court of Bomburst?"

"Well, I do have my duties to my grandfather in the village...but, I must admit..." Gina shifted a brief "bedroom eyes" gaze up at Julian, "it's hard to stay away."

The Gluttonheims were not blind to her veiled meaning and chuckled.

"I couldn't agree more," Julian pressed her arm into his side. "Don't make things hard on the both of us."

Lord Gluttonheim then said in jest, "Well, it's a good thing there aren't any children in the village, lest we might have to accuse dear Julian of being quite distracted from his work." He winked.

Julian and Gina imitated laughter. But it was good enough for the Gluttonheims.

When the Gluttonheims had walked away, Julian asked Gina, "Shall we show them all how a waltz is done, _edelweiss_?"

"I'd love to," Gina smirked up at him.

The two of them joined the other couples that were waltzing. Gina knew the basics of the waltz step, but with Julian's expert leading and secure hold on her, she soon felt like one herself. He was so light on his feet that he never came close to stepping on her toes, even when she got slightly out of sync. Compared to the other couples in the room, who all seemed to be older, Julian was the best dancer among them and, as his partner, by default, Gina, as well.

At a distance, ranking more like a servant than a guest, Johannes watched the unlikely couple dance.  _I never knew Gina was such a good dancer_ , he thought.  _And, what's more, she appears to truly be in love with him.  And he with her.  How did this happen?  How_ could _this happen? How did she have the eyes?  How did he have the heart?_ Johannes looked to the ceiling.  _Did You do this, Lord?  Was this Your plan all along?  Why should You have blessed a beast like Fletcher with a beauty like my Gina?  And yet...You've pulled off a miracle here...perhaps to shame us all.  I suppose I shall be a more stalwart and humble believer hereafter._

Then, Baron Bomburst charged the dancing couple. "Ah, Julian," he came alongside and slapped him heartily on the shoulder. "I knew you could do it, old boy! When is the wedding?"

Julian laughed nervously. "W-wedding, Your Highness? I—er—deh—eh—we—we've only just begun. It's a bit early to—"

"Nonsense! What are you waiting for? You're not getting any younger, you know. Good thing, that.  I'll make all the preparations."

"Do we have to discuss it now? It's _your_ birthday, Highness. Today is all about you."

Baron Bomburst ignored him. "Now, the question is whether she would be another toymaker… Or another Child Catcher… Two of you. Hmm. Now, that would be fun to watch, wouldn't it?"

"Only if you upgrade me to a larger cage and bequeath the smaller one to her," Julian patronized him, veiled by his bland tone.

"And a pretty hat, like his," Gina threw in.

"Done!" the Baron said. "I will make the preparations!"

"Er—" Julian tried.

"And for your wedding." Before Julian could get in another word edgewise, the Baron shuffled away quickly.

Julian looked down at Gina sheepishly. "I apologize. My life is but a circus act to them."

"Well, he's going to be out of our hair in short order, here. I still want a hat, though."

"I'll be happy to make you one."

Several minutes later, the Baron was bored with waltzes. "I vant to open my presents!" the Baron bellowed from his table. "Bring in my presents!"

As people were taking their seats and eating the cake that had already been set there, the guards were opening the doors and Johannes was wheeling in two boxes. The enormous, upright triangular box unfolded to reveal a beautiful life-sized "doll" – known as Truly Scrumptious in disguise.

"Mmm," Gina appraised. "That is truly scrumptious."

Julian snorted a suppressed laugh.

"Dolls?" the Baron protested with a wine of anguish. "I have thousands of dolls, toymaker!"

"Oh, but, Your Highness," Johannes insisted, "this one is very, very special. You will see. Very new. Something I've never attempted before." Johannes bent down to the giant key sticking out of the front of her stand and wound it. When he released it, a beautiful, merry, tinkling melody began to play and a disc in the base began to turn Truly like a ballerina. Then, Truly started to sing, the same lovely operatic voice she and Julian had heard upon floating through the grotto tunnel last night. Gina marveled at Truly's very controlled, staccato movements, as if she was truly clockwork.

Julian pursed his lips, looking like he was controlling the outward sign of inward laughter, his eyes occasionally cutting over across the way to the Baron and back to Truly. Julian leaned over to Gina's ear and muttered, "Truly your grandfather's best work."

"Indeed," Gina agreed, complying with his humor. "Too bad it's a traveling exhibit."

When Truly's song ended, a square box on the floor collapsed, revealing Caracticus flopped on the floor in a ridiculous, red waist coat and pants, square shoes, a mop of shaggy, blonde doll hair, and clown make-up on. Julian almost lost his façade with a release of laughter, which would not have been incriminating, but there was no other sound in the room. However, he did allow himself to politely hiss his snickers into his hand. He was rewarded, however, for the laughter in the room began to rise as Caracticus got to his feet and began flailing around the dance floor.

Then, Caracticus waddled over to the giant key and started her up again. The lilting, tinkling music filled the expansive room again. But, as Truly began to sing, so did Caracticus. He was singing a different set of lyrics to the same tune. To her.

 _It would seem another romance is underway here_ , Gina mused as she soaked in the moment.

"When you're near me, it's so delicious…" Gina heard Julian's high, tenor voice beside her following along softly. When she glanced at him, he was leaning on the table with his far elbow, cheek in hand, eyes cut over at her, looking as though he could fall into a contented sleep at any moment. "Honest, truly," he continued with Caracticus' lyrics, "you're the answer to my wishes. Truly scrumptious, though I may seem presumptuous…"

"Never, never, ever go away…" Gina held his gaze and sang with him. Beneath the table, Julian took her hand. "My heart beats so unruly because I love you, truly. Honest, truly, I do." As the song ended, Julian lifted Gina's hand to his lips and kissed it.

"I think you should be peddling smoothies, not candy," Gina winked. "Because that's what you are."

In the same sleepy expression, he replied, "If that'll lure you into my carriage." He winked.

Looking equally sleepy, Gina drew in air through her teeth and then whispered, "I think I'm in trouble..."

 

In spite of all of Caracticus' clowning, the crowd was most amused Baron Bomburst going out onto the dance floor and trying to imitate him.

Julian dropped his forehead into his hand. "I'm staving off the urge to take over."

"So erudite about what 'real entertainment' is, babe?" said Gina. "Well, I find his buffoonery to be quite profound."

"Don't remind me."

All of a sudden, the Baron let out a holler as he was hoisted into the air by a hook attached to a rope that was being pulled through a hatch in the ceiling by children. The swinging Baron bellowed with fear, sending the room into alarm. Then, children began pouring in from every nook and cranny, turning over every dish of food and drink they could find, binding guests in ropes and shackles, and creating general chaos, allowing Caracticus, Truly, and Johannes to depart in search of Mr. Potts Sr.

Meanwhile, Julian and Gina remained in their seats, calmly eating their cake, untouched by the mayhem. The guards were now rushing in from outside. But they didn't get far because children lining the doors splashed some kind of dark, slippery substance in their path, causing them to slide and topple on each other.

Once again, Julian dropped his face into one hand with disgust.

Suddenly, a blonde six-year-old boy popped up between him and Gina. "Hi, Mr. Julian!"

Julian was taken off guard by such a merry, voluntary greeting from a fugitive child. "Er…h-hello…"

"Thank you for all the candy."

Julian's brow rose. "I…er…eh…" he glanced at Gina, who nodded at the child, "you're welcome…"

"Well, bye, now." Then, boy rushed off to join the others.

However, Jeremy and Jemima Potts soon took his place, each releasing a greeting of their own, as merrily as if it was their own birthday party. They were already speckled in dirt and food.

"Cake! Mmm!" Jemima said, looking at Gina's plate.

"Would you like some?" Gina pushed her plate towards her. Gina handed her the fork, with Julian looking on in repulsion.

"Oh, yes, thank you!" Jemima took a large amount onto the fork and stuck it in her mouth, which now had Jeremy's attention.

Julian grimaced, "Why don't you kiddiewinkies get your own cake? There's plenty of it on the floor by now."

Gina, trying not to laugh in reaction to her surprise, gaped at him with a squint. "Julian."

Julian sighed. "Alright, alright. I take it back. But, I hope you're not planning to eat off your fork again. You don't know what diseases these foreign children might be carrying, let alone that they're children in the first place."

Gina looked to be thinking. "I'll just use yours. How romantic is that?"

Julian chuckled. "You are resourceful on the fly, aren't you?"

Suddenly, the very panicked Baroness raced up to the table and slammed her hands down in front of Julian, startling Jeremy and Jemima, but not Julian, at least not that he showed. "JULIAN! Why are you still sitting there?! DO something!"

Julian simply looked at her with defiant coldness. Casually, he scooped up a glob of gooey icing onto his fork, raised it to a vertical position, and flicked the load right onto her face.

Jeremy and Jemima laughed.

The Baroness reared back with a high-pitched, howling gasp, as if he had thrown acid on her. "Julian! How dare you? After all we've done for you! You'll be beheaded for this treachery!"

Unfazed, Julian's gaze followed the Baron making his escape. He then looked at the Baroness and said, "I think you're going to miss your ride. Claudia." Julian pointed to give her a clue.

The frazzled Baroness turned around and, when she saw her husband fleeing without her, her focus was immediately diverted and she went scurrying after him.  "Oh!  Wait for me, my dumpling!"

Then, the revving of an engine and the blare of a horn drew eyes to the entrance of the throne room, where Chitty Chitty Bang Bang burst through the doors and skidded to a 180-degree stop near the banquet tables, splattering food and wine from the floor onto anyone in range. Julian and Gina felt a few of the flecks, like rain. With a light irate sign through his nose, Julian wiped his face with his cloth napkin.

Jemima and Jeremy ducked under the table and ran up to Chitty. They were joined shortly by their father, grandfather, and Truly. Mr. Potts Sr. embraced his grandchildren with merry and relieved reunion greetings between them.

"Well, you two sure found a way to get filthy, didn't you?" Caracticus laughed.

"Give 'em a nice dunk in the ocean on the way back," Grandpa Potts jested. "I got one me-self on the way over."

"Where's Gina and Julian?" Caracticus looked around.

"Over there," the Potts children pointed.

"We got to eat cake, Daddy," Jemima added.

"Oh, good," he replied, waving to the couple to join them. Upon their arrival at Chitty's driver's side, Caracticus said, "Gina, Julian, we can't thank you enough. Especially you, Julian. You made some big decisions that weren't easy. You deserve admiration for that."

Julian bowed. "You're far too kind, Mr. Potts."

"What are you going to do now that you're not catching children?"

"Oh, he's not done catching children just yet," Gina elbowed him playfully in the ribs. "Look around."

With wide eyes, Julian said, "You really expect me to clean up this mess by myself?"

"I bet you could bribe a bunch of these kids to do it for treats," she proposed, causing Julian to look slyly contemplative.

Jeremy and Jemima jumped up and down in the back seat with excitement. "Ooh-ooh! Me, too! I want some! I'll help!"

"See?" Gina pointed with open hand. "You've already got two volunteers and all I had to do was suggest."

"I say, Caracticus," said Grandpa Potts, "it is quite a bit of a disaster in here. What say you to lending a hand or two?"

Caracticus looked at his son and daughter. "You kids want to stay and help?"

Jemima and Jeremy bounced again, cheering their words of affirmation.

"It's not like they'll be missing school," Truly sighed.

"Well, alright," Caracticus said. "We helped create the mess. We should help clean it up."

Julian trotted back to the Baron's table, jumped up on it like a stage, and hollered, "Chiiiildrreeen!" When he had a majority attention, he continued, "Remember that candy Gina gave you, from me?" The children cheered. "Well, there's more where that came from," he opened his arms like a performer. "All free today – IF, you will clean up this mess."

The room returned to chaos again, only this time in a cleaning capacity.

Julian then called in his tinny, gravelly bellow, stamping his foot like a Spanish dancer, "Could we get some order in here?! Honestly!"

Shortly, the servants were handing out cleaning tools and teams were being assigned according to the tool.

Gina jumped up on the table beside him and hugged his arm. "Nice work, 'Kindergarten Cop.'"

"Oh-ho-ho, no. Certainly not. I'm going to retire. I believe my professional position is about to become obsolete, anyway."

"Oh, I don't know that it need be obsolete," she said. "Just re-purposed."

 

**Epilogue**

With Caracticus Potts at the wheel and Truly Scrumptious at his side, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang soared above the countryside of Vulgaria for a little joyride. In the backseat were Jeremy and Jemima, Gina and Julian, each enjoying an ice cream bar in between choruses of, "Bang-bang, chitty-chitty, bang-bang, our fine, four-fendered friend. Bang-bang, chitty-chitty, bang-bang, our fine, four-fendered frieeeeend…"

**~ Fin ~**


	10. Alternate Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: It's a tad raunchy.
> 
> This alternate ending is based on the fact that the Child Catcher is not present at the Baron's party at the end of the movie; rather, he runs in at the last minute. And from outside? At any rate, how insulting that he's not invited when he's the main enforcer of the anti-child law. Even if he didn't want to go (you can see what an "energetic" party is), you'd think he'd be required to be there, as a chief officer. (Or perhaps MGM just didn't have the budget to pay Robert Helpmann for more than 10 minutes of screen time in the whole movie. I feel ripped off.)  
> Anyway, this scene provides an explanation as to why the Child Catcher was not present at least for the latter part of Bomburst's party.

While chaos ensued in the ballroom far below them downstairs, Julian and Gina had slipped upstairs unnoticed.  Partially clothed beneath the silky, cotton sheets of Julian's king-sized bed, the Child Catcher and Gina were ravenously enjoying a more sumptuous dessert than they could ever hope to find in Vulgaria, which they did - each other.  An appropriate and well-deserved reward for the strife they had been through, strife that would soon end with the overthrow of the Bombursts that was being taken care off downstairs.  Every taste only generated new hunger and a desperate vigor to savor every drop of pleasure.  Julian's triumphant grunts made Gina laugh.  She never dreamed she could desire this much nose.

An urgent knock at the door.

Julian paused to roll his eyes and whispered to Gina, "We're not here."

But the guard's voice called, "Sir?  Heir Child Catcher, sir?"  He continued to knock.

Julian sighed heavily.  "I'm busy!  Get lost!"

"Sir!  The castle is being overrun by children!  The Bombursts are in desperate need of your help!"

"For God's sake...one man, an army of children.  What do you want me to do about it?  What are _your_ men doing about it?"

"Sir," the soldier opened the door hastily, "we require your assist--oh!"  He stumbled, seeing Julian top naked in the sheets with a woman beneath him.

"Sargent!" Julian barked.  "How dare you enter my quarters unbidden!  I told you I'm quite in the middle of something!  Off with you!"

"But, sir - er, forgive me, sir - your desertion could be seen as treason."

"Bite me."

"You can bite _me_ ," Gina said with gentle flirtatiousness.

Julian grinned with wild-eyed manic desire and took a mouthful of her mouth with a satisfied grunt.  They continued to make out in disregard to the soldier still standing there.  Then, Julian looked at the solider again to say dryly, "Sargent, look at my face.  How often do you think I get an opportunity like this?  The country can go to hell.  According to the gentry, it's already been there.  Now, disappear, or I will drag you from the back of my carriage by a noose around your neck until your head falls off."

"Er, yes, sir..."  The soldier took his leave, closing the door behind him.

With the passion interrupted, the activity in the bed slowed to some gentle caressing.  Julian purred as he nuzzled Gina's soft face with his long nose, which Gina reciprocated.

"Maybe we should get a place in the country," Gina mumbled.

"I'm inclined to agree with you.  Maybe now's a good time to take out my retirement fund."

Gina chuckled.

"Hello, Mr. Julian," said a very young voice next to Gina's side of the bed.

Both of them turned with wide eyes to see Jeremy and Jemima standing there.

"Children!" Julian gasped, both with surprise and anger.  "What are you doing here?  How did you even get here?"

"Chitty is outside," Jemima said.  "We thought you'd like to go for a ride."

"Children, Gina and I are a little busy at the moment and would like some privacy-"

Caracticus was coming in through the doors to the balcony, which were open to catch the warm, summer breeze off the lake.  "There you two are.  We were going to invite you - oh...oh...I'm sorry..."  He began to back up, holding up his hands and looking aside at the floor.  "I didn't know you were...uh...  Children?  Come back out to the car, please."

Past the gossamer curtains, Julian could vaguely see Chitty hovering just off the balcony with Truly and Grandpa Potts still seated.  "This was Chitty's idea, wasn't it?  Haven't I paid my dues already?"

"Anyway, uh..." Caracticus continued in a chipper manner, "we came to say goodbye and, uh, if you'd like to get dressed, you can come along on a little joyride in Chitty before we leave for England."

"I was having a joyride in Gina just now, thank you very much."

"Alright, alright," Caracticus apologized hastily.  "Understand.  Sorry to bother you."

"Give us a minute, Caracticus," Gina called.  "We'll join you."

The children cheered.

"Gina..." Julian sighed.

"Come on, babe," she sighed back.  "It sounds like fun.  We'll come back to this later.  You have more opportunities for this than you do to ride in flying car."

Julian sighed.  "Very well."

Caracticus and the children returned to the front bench seat of the car, next to Truly, to wait for Julian and Gina.

Julian climbed into the back next to Grandpa Potts and helped Gina into the space next to him.  The old man gave him a pat on the back and said, "Welcome aboard, old boy.  You sure turned out to be a surprise, not the least of which scoring the fairest maiden in the land.  I haven't seen a single person here who looks like they're under the age of 50 - though, I must say, they _all_ make _you_ look like a handsome catch by comparison, hahah, poor lot.  No wonder there's such a disparaging outlook on breeding around here - "

"Grandpa," Caracticus stopped him in a warning tone.

"You're welcome for the mercy I extended to your children," Julian smiled sarcastically.  "We can only hope that my own will inherit my 'boyish good looks.'"

"Who needs boyish," Gina added, "when you could have stately?"  She gave his arm a squeeze in both of hers.  Julian raised his grand nose in the air with pride.

"As long as he is handsome to Gina, Grandpa," Truly mitigated, "that's what matters."

"Er, yes, yes, quite, quite..." Grandpa contritely trailed off into silence.

"Thank you, Truly," Julian nodded genteelly, "I appreciate your sentiment.  Spellbinding performance in the ballroom, by the way."

Truly chuckled.  "Well, thank you.  Would you believe it was my first full run-through?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> True story: I don't know how long she practiced, but Sally Ann Howes mastered her doll scene in the first shoot. No retakes. Remarkable!


	11. Alternate Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are two alternate scenarios for Chapter 6 from the gag reel. No segways from Chapter 5; they just jump right into the new action and actually follow the movie more closely. Although these scenes are not as emotionally potent as the existing Chapter 6 and circumvent Chitty having to "bully" Julian into submission (which just makes the whole situation more satisfying), I think they're still fun to ponder. (And Gina, in either case, knowing that Julian can smell children like a hunting dog, would not have tolerated her grandfather disguising Jeremy and Jemima in any way on premises, which is another reason why the original Chapter 6 still stands supreme.)  
> I will say, though, that in the latter scene, we do get to see Gina and her grandpa argue in real time about her having lied about her relationship with Julian. For some reason, I just really love "the truth comes out" arguments in stories. Getting busted deliciously tests the personalities of the characters.

\-- ALTERNATIVE SCENE A:  Gina and the Pottses are disguised in the toy shop when Julian arrives with the soldiers. --

The soldier emerged from the cellar.  "Nobody down here, sir."

"Fool!" Julian barked.  "Idiot!  Out of my way!"  Julian made a quick descent on the stairs, followed by Johannes and a few guards.  Shuffling around the cellar, Julian continued to lecture them on the art of child catching.  "You have to know where to look.  They get under the floors, in the cracks in the walls, in the...ohhh, myyy goodness..."  Julian was stopped in his tracks by the sight of a gorgeous, life-sized doll in a festive Vulgarian peasant dress.  All except for the bright red dots on her cheeks, she looked exactly like Gina Bergenkraft - and was even the same height.  Julian removed one of his black gloves to slowly and gently stroke the doll's strangely fleshy and warm cheek with the backs of his finger.

Gina still did not blink or even twitch.

Julian raised his eyebrows and said, vaguely, "Impressive."  Then, he casually snapped his fingers to summon a guard, pointed at the doll, then upward.  "Captain?  My room."

The Captain of the Guard came forward hastily and (to Gina's surprise) lifted her like a log and carried her away.

Johannes stammered as he tried to stop him.  "Wait-wait-wait, you can't just take that out of here!  These are for the Baron!"

"Don't worry," Julian patronized.  "Just a little Beloved Child Catcher bonus.  I do work so very hard and haven't even gotten a raise yet."

Johannes looked at him begrudgingly while Julian continued to smile.

Looking as though he would burst out laughing, Julian added, "You didn't plan that one very well, did you, Bergenkraft?"  Julian drew in a long inhale through is long nose and turned towards a series of large, colorful boxes behind him.  "Now let's see what's in these boxes, shall we?"

 

\-- ALTERNATIVE SCENE B:  Gina surprises "Candy Man" Julian --

Gina was sitting on the floor of the toy shop cellar playing with Jeremy and Jemima as they explored her grandfather's wares.  Then, they heard a sweet, distant voice calling outside.

"What's that?" Jeremy asked.

"Ice cream!  Lollipops!" the voice called.  "All free today!  Come along, little ones!"

Gina knit her brow in recognition and disbelief.  _Is he serious?_

"Jeremy, you mustn't!" Jemima warned Jeremy ventured to the cellar window that faced out into the plaza.

"Jeremy, get away from that window," Gina said, trying to sound stern.  It felt terrible to her to say such a thing.  _Are you really going to hide from him to keep up appearances?_

 _Well, you have to hide the kids either way_ , she countered herself. _  
_

_He doesn't have the guards with him this time.  What's he going to do, honestly?_

Now that both children were watching the colorfully-clad "candy man" gallop around outside, Gina slipped over and sat beneath the window, out of the line of sight.

Julian leaned down close to the window, displaying a handful of plastic lollipops.  "Lollipops," he cooed.  "And aaall freeee today.  Cherry pies...cream puffs...ice cream...treacle tarts..."

"Hey, pookabear," Gina suddenly appeared, crossing her arms on the window ledge and resting her chin there, casually.

"Gina?" Julian gasped as if she had been a spider.  He staggered back, but stepped on his robe and fell to the porch with a wild gasp.

Jeremy and Jemima laughed.

Julian recovered and clambered on all fours to the window.  "Gina?  What are you doing here?"

"I live here.  Remember?"

"Yes, well..." he said, sarcastically, "what are you doing in these circumstances?"

Gina continued to be casual.  "Hiding some kids from the Child Catcher.  What are _you_ doing?"

Julian stared at her with narrowed gaze for a few seconds, his mouth hanging open awaiting words.  Then, his demeanor changed entirely, back to the candy man.  "Well, it's a good thing I found you before he did."

"I know, right?" _Gina, what are you doing?_

_I have no idea._

"Gina, do you know this man?" Jemima inquired.

"Yes," Gina glanced over her shoulder.  "This is my boyfriend, Julian.  He's very sweet and loves children."

Julian grinned rather stiffly.  Quickly, he said, "Oh-ho, I really do.  In fact, would you kiddiewinkies like a little carriage ride?"

Gina squinted at him skeptically, which the children couldn't see.  "It's too hot outside.  I think we should invite Julian down here in the cool basement and show him all the neat toys we've found."

"Oh, but it's not that bad outside," Julian insisted in a playful tone.  "A quick carriage ride will cool us off.  Not to mention some ice cream.  What do you say?"

"Really?" Gina muttered irately to him as privately as she could through the window.  "We're really gonna do this right now?"

"Why are you resisting?" Julian muttered back, trying to move his lips as little as possible.  "I have a job to do, you know that.  Don't do this to me."

"Don't do this to _me_.  What do you want me to do?  Ride shotgun while you take them to the pound?"

Julian raised a suspicious eyebrow.  "Something tells me that would bother you."

"Just get your colorful butt in here."  As if everything was normal, Gina turned to the kids at her usual speaking volume.  "Well, Truly said we couldn't leave, but she didn't say we couldn't have friends in, which is definitely not in violation of 'staying out of sight.'"  _I am a terrible influence._ Gina turned back to the window.  "Besides..." Gina looked up at Julian seductively, "I may have a few treats for the candy man..."  She slightly licked the right side of her upper lip.

Moments later, Julian found himself sitting on the floor of the basement with Gina and the foreign children.  Fortunately, Julian had enough real candy in his pockets (for safe keeping) to make his persona seem legit, which he generously bequeathed to the children as if he had no agenda.  Whatever else Julian may have been planning, Gina watched him in fascination and endearment as he maintained his "friendly neighborhood candy man" facade with the children, taking interest in the things they were telling and showing him.

Footsteps above.  And voices.

Gina met Julian's eyes.  "Uh-oh."  _There's only one way out_ _of here and it's the same way they're going to come down here._

Jeremy and Jemima excitedly rushed up the stairs to greet the returning adults.

....

[Gina tries to disguise Julian as a jack-in-the-box]

"You!" Caracticus shouted.  He grabbed Julian by the ascot and yanked him out of the box, then slammed him up against the nearest wooden pillar.  "You're trying to take our children."

"You see how dumb that disguise is?" Julian rasped with Caracticus' fist pressing into his throat.  "Not even you fell for it."

"Well, I don't know who you thought you could fool with that face, just because you changed your clothes."

"I did less than that, actually - I put a robe on.  And thank you for putting it lightly.  Most people like to use stronger language about my face."

"Gina," Johannes said, curtly, drawing all gazes.  "How could you?"

"How could I what?" she asked with calm, patronizing innocense.

"Let him in.  I know it was you.  You know fully well who he is.  Everyone's been telling you to stay away from him.  The Pottses trusted you with protecting their children.  And so did I."

Gina replied stoically, "Oh, sorry, it's just that he was so charming on our last two dates I guess I let my guard down.  But, as far as I can tell, the children are still here.  Ergo, my record is clear.  By the way, were it not for me, Jere and Jemima might be on a little carriage ride right now to the castle.  Because, you're right, I know fully well who Julian is, better than anyone else in the world."

"Dates?  You've been seeing him behind my back?"

"Indeed.  No, I was not out in the countryside fine-tuning my curriculum for the children.  I was with Julian.  And that expensive dress was not from the Bombursts, it was from Julian.  He taught me to waltz that night.  He even found evidence on me in regards to the children and decided not to press charges.  Why?  Because he cares about me."

"Evidence?  What children?" Julian's voice came softly and slowly, filled with shock and an eerie accusatory tone that caused Gina's diaphragm to twist.  She did not turn around to look at him, mouthing curse words to herself.  "I knew that paper smelled newer than your story supported.  And strangely dank, like something found near the lake." 

"You and your sense of smell," she mumbled.

"You're not here to help your grandfather, are you?" Julian continued.  "Somehow, you've been helping children who are somewhere in Vulgaria, right under my nose."

"Well, why don't _you_ know where they are?  You're the Child Sniffer.  They even come up into the castle kitchen to steal food when they feel brave enough.  Fail."

Julian's eyes bulged.  "What?  Well, I don't go anywhere near the kitchen, I'm not a servant.  But I suppose I will now."

"Gina!" Johannes grunted.

"Fine," Gina continued to Julian in frustration.  "When you arrest them, arrest me, too, if you're so darn eager to do your job.  I came here to give education, food, hope, and faith to the children of Vulgaria that you've driven into hiding.  Guilty."

Caracticus took hold of Julian again, this time by the arm, and Johannes flew across the room to do the same on the other side.

"He's not taking her anywhere!" Johannes growled.  "He's outnumbered in here."

"What will we do with him?" Caracticus asked, sounding bewildered.

"I'll figure out something," Johannes said.  "Maybe offer him to the children of Vulgaria as a pinata."

Julian did not try to fight these men off, which would have been futile anyway.  Looking down at Gina, Julian's brow rose and he bit his lower lip as if someone had stepped on his toes.  Like a man being lead to his execution, his face remained solemn, but tears came to his eyes. In a voice that was softened and hoarse with self-control, he said, "I don't want to arrest you, Gina..."  When he closed his eyes, a tear dripped down each pale cheek.  "I love you."

Gina covered her mouth to discretely partially hide the contortions of emotion on it.  Now her own tears were falling.  She got to her feet to go to him, silently slipping her arms around his waist and squeezing him as if he _was_ on his way to his execution, which took her back to last night, when neither of them wanted her to leave the castle. "I'm not leaving Vulgaria alive without you, Julian.  And I believe that's the real reason God sent me to Vulgaria."

Caracticus was the first to let go of Julian, stunned by the show of humbled emotion by this otherwise arrogant man who enjoyed throwing his weight around.  Johannes finally let go, as well, allowing Julian to use his freed arms to embrace Gina.

"I can't lose you," Julian continued.  "I've been risking my own life sitting in here with you and the children and playing instead of capturing you all.  If I were seen by any authorities passing by, it would mean death for us all.  But no matter what your involvement with children at this point, Gina, I just can't bring myself to exercise the hand of the law on you.  If the Bombursts were to end your life, they'd be killing me at the same time, as I would die of grief."

Caracticus asked, "So...you didn't come back to take our children?"

Julian hung his head like a guilty dog and sighed.  His voice came in a low, soft crackle.  "Well, yes, that was my initial plan...  But, I suppose I could report that, by the time I returned, the foreigners had escaped...  After all, Gina tricked me into playing with the children to keep up appearances...to them."  In a more humble and embarrassed fashion, Julian averted his gaze and muttered, "And it worked on me, a bit...  Clever girl.  It's much harder to put something in a cage once you name it.  And, for reasons that escape me, they are entirely enamored with your creations, Johannes."

"You're mystified by that?  You do realize my main customer is the Baron, don't you?" Johannes replied.

"Ha-ha.  You say that as if he was an expert on value."

"Since when are you the judge of the worth of craftsmanship, Fletcher?  And those crocodile tears are all gone now that you're making fun of me."

"They're not crocodile tears," Julian retorted.  "I guess I take for granted how much I enjoy belittling you.  But it goes both ways, does it not?  What would you honestly have to talk about in this dull village were it not for my 'banana beezer,' hmm?  Reason to get up in the morning?  I suppose it takes the sting off the Child Catcher to come up with embarrassing nicknames for his facial anomaly."

Gina began to stroke his back, and the lengths of his long, black hair that she could reach.

Julian sniffed in the manner of clearing his throat.  "Excuse me...emotions seem to be running high at the moment."


End file.
